Event
by bearfuck
Summary: L sets up another scheme to draw Light in, but the consequences expand far past what anyone could have expected. L/Light. Rated M for language, sex, and disturbing amounts of concentrated fanboy.
1. Invitations

**So, my first EVER fanfic. Really sorry it's so short. Read and review, and feel free to criticize! Anyway, it doesn't really get to the event itself until chapter three, but expect much goodness beforehand. Thanks to xsnocappedlovex for beta-ing it.**

**RIGHT. I OWN NOTHING. Because if I did, nobody would ever die and all this would be canon.**

**I would also like to say this: If you think this is average, terrible, the worst thing you've ever read, one of those stories that is laughably bad or you can't even finish a chapter of, or anything along those lines, PLEASE tell me. I don't have a problem with negative reviews and if I suck, don't you want me to suck less? There'd be one less shitty writer in the world!  
**

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L looked through the plans he had listed to draw Light closer. Nothing in the first three pages seemed quite appropriate, somehow. He needed something that would entice Light to confess to _someone_ that he was Kira. For once, L was clueless. On the fourth page, one idea caught his eye. He called Watari over.

"Could you please help me to execute plan eighty-six?" Watari nodded. "And while you're at it, some cake would be nice. Oh, and use these." L pulled out a stack of envelopes. "Make sure Yagami Light gets his."

--

Light stared uncomprehendingly the stiff ivory paper in his hand. Single words jumped out at him, "formal," "Thursday," and, most importantly, "Ryuuga." Slowly, he pieced together the information.

Ryuuzaki was hosting a formal party, an "event," in under a week for their entire college class, so obviously, Light was invited.

Light had no fucking clue whether or not this was a trap, something to force him to admit he was Kira. All he knew is he wanted to see the detective again, and he was completely lost as to why.

Ryuk pulled him away from his thoughts. "So, are you going? This could be interesting." He chuckled, and Light cringed. Sometimes the shinigami just got annoying. But he brought up a good point. _Would_ he go?

"Yes. I'm going."

Ryuk chuckled, glad that the human world was so utterly entertaining.

--

L's phone rang for the eleventh time in the past few hours. Already the guest list consisted of thirty-nine girls and twenty-three men (the men sounding far less enthused) from their class. But not Light; not yet. He flipped open his cell. "Hello."

"Hey, Ryuuzaki. Ryuuga. Whatever you're going by right now." Of course, it was Light.

"Light-kun. What are you calling for?" Although L knew it was related to his invitation, he was surprised to feel his composure slipping, and he discovered he was unsure of what the teen's reply would be. And that he cared, far more than he expected.

"About your party on Thursday." If L had been anyone else, he would have been hyperventilating. As it was, he had some trouble breathing. This event could be critical to the Kira investigation, and damn it, L wanted to see Light all dressed up. In his impatience, he cut Light off.

"And? Will I see you there?" He didn't mean for the last part to sound so desperate. It just spilled out.

"I'm coming." L breathed a sigh of relief.

"Excellent. I'll write you down, Light-kun." The lack of sleep seemed to be catching up with L. He almost felt attracted to the boy.

It was a good thing that nicknames didn't work in the Death Note. If they did, L would be dead. Over the last two hours, Light had punished fewer criminals than he usually did in ten minutes, instead opting to draw that single letter all over the page. Even a sketch of eyes resembling those of a panda could be found in the bottom left corner. If L had meant to throw him off focus by inviting Light to his "event," if he had done it just to shake him up, it was working.

When Light fell into a fitful slumber, still at his chair, he dreamt of L.

--

_L stretched his hand up, hesitantly pulling the brunet's head toward his own. As their lips met, Light let his aggression take over, searching every corner of the detective's mouth with his tongue. L responded with equal passion and they began a battle for dominance. Light pressed the older man against the wall as L pulled his white tee over his head. The teen let his hands explore L's flawlessly white chest while the insomniac twisted his hands in his hair. As L began unbuttoning the younger man's shirt, Light adjusted his grip on L's back so he could remove it completely, throwing the shirt across the room. Light slid his now free hand down to L's waistband, where he unfastened the jeans. Once they were off, he discovered something._

_L didn't wear boxers._

--

After their call, L threw himself into the case with even more than his usual fervor. All he could manage to do, however, was eat cake and find new parallels between Light and Kira. Probability was up to thirteen percent, now. Light was just too arrogant, too overly casual about L's accusations to be cleared of any suspicion. And L's gut feeling was rarely wrong, and Light was the only real suspect. And with the amount L had been thinking about Light, his being Kira would be the only logical explanation.

Light was Kira, L felt certain. All that was left to do was get evidence.

"Ah, Light-kun. How was your evening? Not too tiring, I hope."

Light turned around to see L peering over his shoulder, knees pulled up to his chest. Trying not to let his frustration at the detective show through, he remained as polite as possible when he replied. "It was fine, thank you. I trust yours was also relaxing."

L pulled the thumb he had been nibbling on out of his mouth to respond. "Yes, surprisingly. I always feel well rested after I make some good headway on a case. Which, by the way, I did last night." L smirked while Light tried to keep his face clear of any emotion, but it became difficult when L continued. "And speaking of last night, it was good to hear you're willing to spend a night away from your killing to please a friend." The last word was laced with sarcasm.

_Damn you, L_, Light thought. He kept his voice casual and confident when he responded. "I got it. I'm coming, don't worry." He paused. "And as for the last comment, I'm not Kira. How many times do I have to say it?" He rolled his eyes, trying to keep it from looking forced. "Ryuuzaki, I know I'm not Kira, and that's all that matters in the end. But it gets annoying, having you commenting on something you're ninety percent sure is a lie."

"Eighty-seven percent, actually."

--

**:D You like? Do tell. That review button over there. Use it, okay? ESPECIALLY if you have something negative to say. I want to know when I screw up, even if it's the unforgivable type.  
Even if it's just okay, and you're bored and not going to read the rest, tell me!**

**Sorry if they're OOC. I'm trying not to, but sometimes my rabid fangirl side takes over.**


	2. Preparations

**So here's chapter two. I've written through four or five. Again, I own nothing, and thanks for the reviews!**

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Light stretched out on his bed and looked at Ryuk. "I wonder, what's L's ulterior motive for throwing this? I mean, it obviously has something to do with the case, and me confessing, but it's not like he could force me to in front of our class. None of them know he's L."

"I told you already, I'm not necessarily on your side in this," Ryuk replied, taking a bite out of his apple. "Maybe he just wants to see you looking all pretty."

Light sincerely wished that was true, and not just because he was Kira.

___________________

L kept drifting asleep at his desk. Usually the detective could go more than six days without sleep, and yet this was the third time it had happened today. All he could hope was that the task force hadn't noticed. He lifted his head and hit a button clumsily to call Watari in. "Watari, coffee." The older man nodded.

When Watari brought in the coffee, L dropped in his usual amount of sugar and cream (eight cubes, two spoonfuls) and went back to work. He sent a message to his man who would be on the inside on Thursday with pictures and information on Light. He couldn't let his sudden need for sleep interrupt the case. He could sleep tonight.

___________________

"Ryuk, I have nothing to wear," Light complained. He was looking through his closet, and was mortified to find that his only suit was now several sizes too small. When had that happened? It had fit just months before. Determined to be optimistic, he shrugged. "Looks like we're going shopping."

Light grabbed his wallet off of his nightstand and walked out the door, Ryuk trailing behind. He was going to take this opportunity and get one killer suit.

___________________

L realized he had encountered yet another dead end in the case. Luckily, tonight had the potential to turn that around. Until then, though, he had nothing to do. He began sketching how he wanted the room laid out for the party: spread out, centered around the stairs in the ballroom they were using to allow for dramatic entrances, a few secluded spots for couples, and an opening onto the balcony. He scanned it and sent it to Watari, telling him to set it up soon.

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Light collapsed into a chair and dropped the shopping bag on the floor. Three hours of shopping and he had finally found a suit that was good enough for him. It hadn't been inexpensive, and the quality showed. L would have to be an idiot (which he was most definitely _not_) to not see the perfection. He got up and walked into the bathroom. He turned on the shower and stripped. Only a few hours left until the event. He got into the hot water, already planning what he'd do and say tonight.

___________________

L looked blankly in the mirror. Watari had gotten him some nicer clothes for the evening – navy blue pants and a white button down, but he was missing something. Light wouldn't confide in him if he looked like this….L cut the thought short. _That_ wasn't the plan. He was only going to chat briefly with Light and then allow his man to do everything else. He was not going to get involved any more than that. He was not going to encourage his ridiculous attraction to the boy. He was going to watch apathetically, as he always did. He was L. He was _not_ a normal person, and only normal people could fall in love. Affection was weakness, and he didn't have weaknesses. He squared his shoulders, ran his fingers through his hair, and walked to the car waiting to take him to his event.

___________________

Light stepped out of the shower, wrapping himself in a towel and using another to dry his hair, which was getting a bit on the long side. He wished Ryuk would just shut up – his constant laughter was decidedly sinister, and Light was uncomfortable enough as it was. He brushed his teeth and walked back into his room. He reached into the bag and pulled out the silky material. Unfolding it, he noticed something was wrong and at last understood the shinigami's mirth.

"Ryuk, where the hell is my suit?"

___________________

Watari pulled the car into the parking lot of the hotel where it would be hosted. L got out and slammed the door. He walked in, looking around. He absorbed several things at once: it was laid out exactly as he had requested, the cake was in the back corner, there were six easily accessible exits, and the video cameras had three blind spots, which he would have to watch. He walked over to the cake and cut a slice. He crouched on a stool and watched as the lighting was changed, alcohol was put out, and the music was set up. He got the feeling that everything would work out.

___________________

Light was furious. He had everything planned, was going to impress L, and was going to look amazing while he did it. Now he had to wear a suit that was far too small, his everyday attire, or a _dress._ He had never hated anyone like he hated Ryuk in that moment. And he knew that the dress was the only real option. Resigned, he fastened the bra that had also been in the bag, pulled the floor-length gown over his head and zipped up the side. He may have been mad, but he could still recognize a good fit when he saw one. Maybe, just maybe, he could play up the feminine appeal? L might be able to appreciate it….

Glad he was home alone; Light slipped into Sayu's room and grabbed her makeup and hairstyling bags. He brought them back into his room and opened the makeup bag first. He leaned into the mirror and applied lipstick as he had watched his mom do so many times. Still fuming, he finished his makeup and began clipping his hair into something remotely feminine. Maybe it being too long was a good thing. He plugged in his hairdryer and blew it dry. He unclipped the curls and finger-combed his hair. He was an idiot for going through with this. But it was too late to turn back now. Finally considering himself done, he looked in the mirror.

Idiot or not, he made a _really _hot girl.

He put the car keys and makeup in his sister's purse and walked out the door.

___________________

L smiled wryly as more and more guests poured in. As he had predicted, they were gravitating towards the alcohol in the back, and several were already quite drunk. Hopefully Light would follow their pattern and confess, but L knew that he was too wary of anything done by L to actually do that.

Nearly an hour passed, and the party was getting good. L saw everyone who had been planning on attending, and even some others, everyone but one. Traffic, perhaps? The teen was usually early for everything. L was worried that he had thought better of it, and his mood steadily deteriorated until people were no longer coming within five feet of him, sensing his negative air. Even the few girls bold enough to come up and flirt with him quickly walked away, feeling unwanted. It wasn't like he could tell them that he preferred someone else – because he didn't, did he?

___________________

Light banged his hand against the steering wheel. There was an accident – drunk driving, he'd deal with the driver later – and he was over an hour late. What would L think? The car was barely moving forward, and Ryuk was of no entertainment value. All he was doing was eating an apple and watching Light drive.

After another twenty minutes, he finally made it to the end of the traffic and sighed in relief. The hotel hosting the event was just ahead, so Light pulled into the lot next to it. He stepped out of the car and looked at his reflection in the window. Pulling his makeup out of his pocket, he reapplied his mascara and straightened up. He walked across the lot and headed towards the hotel.

___________________

L stared dejectedly at his cake. It had been another twenty minutes and Light _still _had yet to show up. He was ready to call the night a failure when everyone around him looked towards the door. He glanced up, but it wasn't Light, just another girl, albeit a very pretty one. He looked back at his cake, but then it registered.

It _was _Light. That face, that body, they couldn't belong to anyone else. Light might have had everyone else fooled, but L wasn't the world's best three detectives for nothing. And damn it, Light looked _hot. _A few guys walked over to him to flirt, but he was clearly distracted and they quickly lost interest, instead opting to watch from a few feet away while Light looked around, clearly searching for something. The two made eye contact, and L barely realized that he was standing up and walking over to the boy, not a thought of the Kira case in his head. He noticed his plant walking towards Light as well, and L shook his head. The other man nodded and walked away as L made his way through the crowd.

___________________

Light couldn't tear his eyes away from L. The older man was walking toward him determinedly. Light walked past the boys who hadn't yet realized _he_ was also a guy. L was looking better than ever, in a button-down and blue pants that showed off his body more than the jeans and t-shirt combo ever had. He had to admit it, the man was gorgeous.

Light was definitely turned on.

___________________

They met in the middle of the room, and L grabbed Light's hand, not caring what anyone else was thinking. Besides, half the room would think they were just some heterosexual couple. He pulled him into one of the camera's blind spots that he had noticed earlier and sat on the bench there. Light settled next to him, adjusting his dress.

"You came, Light-kun."

"Of course. I just had some wardrobe issues," he said. As he laughed bitterly, L realized that there was no fucking way Light was Kira. Kira wouldn't come to something like this wearing a dress. Kira was too proud for that. Light might have been arrogant, but that was because he was used to being the best, not because he could kill with nothing but a name and a face. And because Light was not Kira, there was nothing wrong with what L wanted to do to Light in that moment. He kept himself calm as he returned his thoughts to the conversation.

"I could tell. What happened, may I ask?"

"I grabbed the wrong bag coming out of the store and had nothing else to wear." L got the feeling that that wasn't all, but he accepted the answer.

"Well, if it helps, you make a very attractive girl. If I were straight, I'd do you." L couldn't believe that had just come out of his mouth. In the same moment, he had confessed that he found Light attractive _and_ for the first time admitted that he wasn't attracted to girls. He was a fucking idiot.

Light couldn't believe what he had just heard. First L dragged him over here by _holding his hand_, and then he said he was gay and found Light attractive? This had to be a dream. It was too good. But Light couldn't help but flirt back, just a little.

"Well, does the fact that I'm a guy make me any more attractive to you?" Or a lot.

L was blushing more than Light had ever seen him do before when he replied. "You're very attractive, yes." His hand flew up to his mouth and Light realized that L was saying far more than he ever meant to. He decided that now was a good a time as any to say what he wanted to.

"Well, I think you're pretty attractive yourself, Ryuuzaki."

L smiled crookedly and leaned closer.

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**OHHHHH CLIFF HANGER. This was originally actually two chapters, but I didnt want it to all be like really short chapters and all. And since I have two more ready, expect another update soon. :D Review, okay? Thanks.**


	3. Kiss

**Okay, so I know I said I was going to update Wednesday or Thursday.  
I lied, okay? I couldn't stand being done with chapter five and only having a little feedback on chapter two. So I put it up. Sorry for those of you who don't do M fics, but you'll see why the rating had to change.  
Thanks super-super much to those of you who reviewed and alerted and favorited. You're amazing :D Now review more.**

**Hello, those of you who have come to read the revised version of this. I can't believe none of you told me how badly it failed! That's what the review button is for! Don't be afraid to tell me when I fail.  
**

__________________

L's heart was pounding as he heard Light swallow loudly. For a genius, he was a fucking idiot. Why couldn't he control what he was saying? And why the hell was he close enough to feel Light's breath on his face? Light was clearly only saying those things to make him more comfortable. They were _not_ flirting. Of course not. Light was straight. And L was _supposed _to be asexual.

So why did he want this to happen so badly?

When their lips met, Light lifted his hand and put it behind L's neck, pulling the older man forward. Their lips slowly parted, and L slid his tongue into Light's mouth as he deepened the kiss instinctively. In just moments, the detective had Light on his back on the bench, and neither noticed that several people were watching. When they pulled back for air, L no longer cared about his duties as host. Everyone else was having enough fun as it was. He was staying in that hotel that night, after all, so why not bring Light to his room? Deciding that this was the best course of action, he sat up and pulled Light into a sitting position next to him.

__________________

Light was confused. Suddenly the detective had pulled away and sat up. It had been better than he had dreamed, more sugary and more _real,_ but in dreams, there is never any aftermath. He could tell L was regretting initiating this, that this was out of bounds even for him. Of course L wasn't gay. Light felt awful for forcing himself onto the older man and tried to keep himself composed as he apologized.

"I'm sorry, Ryuu-" Light began.

"No, it's not a problem, Light. I just figured we should go somewhere less… public, if you don't mind." L looked up at the small crowd gathering and added monotonously, "What? Never seen two guys make out before?" Nobody seemed surprised to hear that they were both boys, and Light realized some of them had even recognized them from the speech they had given, that day they had first met. Had it only been a few weeks ago? Now that his mood had improved, he smiled at how well the night was going. Maybe the dress hadn't been such a bad thing, if this was what he got out of it.... L turned back to Light. "Follow me."

Mindlessly, Light allowed himself to be led out of the room, just trying to keep from grinning like an idiot. L pulled him into an elevator and hit the button for the top floor when Light spoke.

"You're better than I had expected." He blushed and the grin broke through, but it was true. He hadn't thought the older man would have any experience, and would be guided by nothing but instinct. Clearly, that hadn't been the case. He was surprised to find he was overcome by jealousy. But _he_ was the one with L now, and that was all that mattered.

"I was only getting started." L grabbed Light's hair and pushed him against the wall. Their lips met again and they began where they had left off, at last finding a pattern in their battling tongues. L held Light up while the younger man wrapped his legs around the insomniac's back and twisted his hands in the messy black hair. The detective removed one hand from where it had been resting on the younger man's back to search for the zipper to his dress. The elevator dinged. Assuming they had reached their floor, they didn't stop until L pulled away, hearing a hacking cough. They separated and L turned to stare down the elderly man who was gaping, looking mortified.

"I would recommend waiting a few minutes," L commented. The elevator doors slid shut and they immediately continued.

__________________

L was amazed that this was going so well. Usually one for plans, he had never believed in the power of spontaneity. But it was working so well, and L had never been quite this happy.

The elevator dinged again. Both boys flinched, but when they looked up, they were on their floor and no one was waiting there. L grabbed Light's arm and pulled him down the hallway to the room. He dug around in his back pocket for the keycard and slid it in the door right as Watari opened it and stepped out.

"Hello, Ryuuzaki. You're back early," he noted, letting the door close behind him He noticed Light. "Hello, Light." Light nodded briefly at the man and then blushed furiously. He was so cute when he blushed….

"Watari, go somewhere else for the night. Come back in the morning." L was having difficulty looking like nothing was going on with him and Light. Hopefully Watari would just assume it was related to the case, and not notice the sidelong glances between the two men. Watari nodded and walked down the hall as L opened the door again.

The boys slid into the suite, lips slamming together again. L began to pull them towards the bedroom. Once they passed through the door, Light pulled away and raised his eyebrows. "A bed? I would've thought you were more creative than that."

"Either stop talking or I'll make you stop." Without waiting for a response, L did just that. The younger man was pushed down onto the king-sized bed, and L crawled on top as he caught the boy's lips in his mouth.

Light twisted under his grip, turning the pair over and landing on top. He moved his lips off of L's and pressed them against the detective's neck, gently pushing his tongue out against the man's collarbone. L moaned softly into Light's hair, pulling him closer. Light smirked against the pale flesh, beginning to suck, lightly at first, then with more force. After changing the pressure several times, he began to work his way up to L's ear. He bit down, extracting another moan.

He fumbled with the top button of L's shirt as he flicked his tongue around the lobe, but once it was removed altogether, the insomniac pushed him off. L crushed their lips together once again, and in the same motion flipped the pair so that he was on top. He lifted a leg and rested it on the other side of Light, straddling the boy.

Leaving one hand on the brunet's neck, he moved the other to the small of his back, where he managed to unzip the dress. His mouth was too busy kissing Light's neck to comment on the lace bra he was wearing (or on how well it matched his erection), and for that, Light was grateful. They pulled apart and L slid the dress over the boy's head, and then removed the bra.

The insomniac's hands traveled across the younger boy's well-defined chest. Light started sliding his fingers down L's equally sculpted abs, raking his nails across the detective's deliciously bare muscles. He moved one hand to toy with a belt loop for a moment, and then let the other slip just the tiniest bit inside. He stroked the older man's hip, back and forth, before moving both hands to remove the pants entirely. Because he hadn't commented on the bra, Light resisted the urge to say something about the ridiculous cake-printed boxers, which were tenting. Instead, he tugged them off and discarded them onto the floor.

He felt himself getting harder as he wrapped a hand around L's member and squeezed repetitively, gently at first but increasing in power and speed. A small moan escaped against his lips before Light twisted and turned them both over, and then began to work his mouth down L's chest and abdomen, licking and sucking on the way down, still pumping on the older man's shaft, just a hint of what was to come. Relying purely on instinct (and what he had read in his sister's magazines), Light kissed the tip of the detective's erection softly, lips parting just the slightest bit. He pressed his mouth against it again, letting his tongue slip out against the head, twirling it in little circles in tandem with his squeezing. The insomniac clawed his shoulders, panting. Satisfied, Light began to work his way back up to the older man's mouth.

L ran his hand along the curve of Light's side, resting it at the top of his simple black boxers for a moment before removing them. The younger man lifted one of the detective's legs, hitching it around his waist, before L pulled away and smirked, eyes clouded with lust.

"What the fuck, Ryuuzaki?"

Instead of a response, L smashed their lips together, moved his leg, and rolled on top of Light, who sighed in defeat against his mouth. The brunet wrapped a leg around L's waist, and the insomniac ran a hand along his thigh softly before disentangling himself and leaping to his feet.

"Be right back." All Light could do was stare after him in confusion, longing for his body heat. Feeling mildly ridiculous in his current position, he moved and rearranged the pillows under his back, trying not to think about where L had disappeared to. After a moment, the naked detective reappeared in the door, holding a tube of lubricant in his hand. _Oh._

He spoke as he made his way back to the bed. "From what I know about how this works, I thought this might be useful." Light nodded and extended a hand, which L took, climbing on top of him again. Their mouths met, the brunet's eyes falling shut, as L unscrewed the cover of the lube with one hand, squeezing a bit onto his fingers. Light didn't see, only felt, as the detective slid a hand underneath him, slipping a single lubricated finger into his entrance.

The younger man's hips flew up, away from the finger, his eyes wide, but L pushed it back in, along with a second. Light groaned softly in discomfort, but relaxed as the insomniac pulled his hand out, and almost immediately slipped the two digits back inside. He repeated the action several times, establishing a slightly syncopated rhythm. Light moaned again, and this time, that hand stayed out, the other twisting in his hair.

He relaxed completely, lips and tongue exploring L's mouth with more fervor, savoring the sugary taste. He lifted his leg and rested it on the older man's waist, then allowed the other to join it. The detective pulled his mouth back and hitched the legs over his shoulders, lubricating himself with his free hand, and Light closed his eyes, preparing for what he knew was coming.

Even though he expected it, he still whimpered as he felt L probing his entrance. He squirmed at the pain, muscles tense, but allowed the older man to push in more, then withdraw the majority of the way. L sighed, surprised at how _tight_ the teen was, and leaned in to whisper a single word into the brunet's ear: _relax._ He tried to make the second thrust more comfortable for him, and Light cried out again, but as the insomniac shoved himself in further, the tone changed. The younger man grabbed at his shoulders, panting, hips bucking. L smiled and pulled out again, sliding back in at a deliberately slow pace, aiming for the same spot.

"_Fuck,_ Ryuuzaki!" Light cried, L pushing against his prostate. The detective slid in and out again, slowly, taking care to hit that one spot each time. The teen pushed his hips up, towards the warmth inside of him, and it was all L could do to keep the pace slow and steady. Light's hands pushed against his shoulders, nails raking against his collarbones as he moaned. The insomniac pulled out and pushed in, pace devastatingly slow, again and again, until the younger man's moaning paused and he spoke.

"Ngh! Could you," Light panted, "just maybe…go a little fucking _faster?_"

"You only had to ask, Light," he murmured, before slamming into the teen, driving his member in as hard and fast as he could. Light whimpered, and the sound made the detective push even harder, his speed almost unbearable, driving them both to nearly the point of release. Light came first, splattering on both of them, and his muscles tightened to the point where L could no longer think, could no longer _feel_, to a place where all he could do was follow suit. He moaned the younger man's name and collapsed, unable to do any more than pull out for the final time.

Light kissed him again and smiled, their sweaty bodies in contact at every point possible. The detective sighed contentedly and rolled off of the teen, whose eyes were drooping, clearly exhausted. L let him drift asleep, their arms entangled, and simply _watched._

L watched Light's bare chest rise and fall, a content smile on his sleeping face. For the first time in a long time, he had a reason to stay awake – if he slept, he could miss a moment of Light's perfection. He realized that, chances were, it had been both of their first times, and he would have it no other way. L had never been so attracted to anyone before, and he had barely _done_ anything to anyone before, nothing in at least half a decade. And now his one friend was his lover, and the only one he'd ever had. In that moment, L realized that affection wasn't necessarily synonymous with weakness. Actually, if this night made Light join the investigation team, it could be a strength, an asset. He had already helped with the second Kira investigation, and now that L felt his suspicion should be alleviated, he could join without any regret. It would definitely strengthen the team as a whole. After all, the boy _was_ also a genius.

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**So, I rewrote it. Do you like it better now?  
I think it was much too short before. Only a paragraph *horror*  
Now it's nearly two pages. Review and tell me what you think!  
(Chapter eight should be up the day after tomorrow.)**


	4. Mornings

**Okay, so I know this is a short chapter. I'm sorry. :c Forgive me. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far.  
And happy birthday to L! I know it's a day late for that, but I was elsewhere and had no access to this document.  
I own nothing.  
**

Light woke up, confused, with an entirely naked L sprawled across his body, head buried into his neck. As his memories came crashing back down, he smiled. Oh. Well, it had certainly been an amazing night, but for once, he wished he wasn't Kira, that he could love just like any other person. What if…? Light shook off the thought. It was ridiculous. He gently slipped L's sleeping form off of him, trying not to wake the insomniac. He needed to sleep, judging by the circles under his eyes. He sat up, putting on L's pants and his own boxers. He wasn't wearing the dress again, so L would just have to deal with finding something else to wear when he woke up. Light walked into the main body of the suite and opened the refrigerator and the cabinet next to it. He took out all of the ingredients needed to make waffles and began cooking.

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L woke to the scent of something delicious. He looked next to where he was lying and saw that Light was already up. His pants weren't on the floor any more, so he pulled a pair of his jeans and a t-shirt out of the closet and yanked them on, ditching the boxers. He figured they wouldn't stay on for long if he wore any. He walked out to the kitchenette where Light was sitting, yawning as he put strawberries on his plate.

"Good morning, Light-chan," he said, noticing that the boy was shirtless and just as perfect as before. "What's that smell?"

"Waffles, Ryuu." L didn't comment on the new nickname, instead opting to go over and kiss the boy's mouth softly. Light wrapped his arms around L's neck and pulled him onto his lap. Light's hands slid up his shirt and he held him closer. At that very moment, Watari walked in.

"Ryuuzaki, we were running out of sugar so I – oh." Watari stopped in his tracks as his jaw dropped, seeing L kissing a half-naked Light.

"Watari. Good morning. Would you like some waffles?" L turned to the old man, face flushed. He was trying (and failing miserably at his attempt) to act as if this were a normal occurrence.

"No, thank you. I'll just, um, leave now." He backed out of the door, closing it gently behind him.

L leaned against his lover's shoulder and sighed happily. Light wasn't looking at him disgustedly, and he had stayed, and he made him _waffles._ Obviously, he didn't regret fucking him, and judging by the crooked smile on his face, Light wouldn't mind doing it again. Maybe later today…it _was_ a holiday, after all.

__________________________

Light grinned as L pressed his lips to Light's own. "Not now. Don't you want waffles?" L's face fell. "What? Aren't you hungry? I thought you liked waffles." He smiled and squirted enormous amounts whipped cream onto his. He saw L look back and forth between Light and the food. Light slid a waffle onto a plate and passed it to the detective, who sighed and lifted the whipped cream.

"You know, Light-chan, I could think of better uses for this."

"Eat your waffles, dammit. I'm hungry," Light muttered with his mouth full. It wasn't that he didn't want to screw L right now. It was more the fact that at that moment, Ryuk was leering over his shoulder and making crude sexual jokes and Light couldn't tell him to shut up without looking like he was insane. He shoved waffles down his throat and tried not to look at L or the shinigami. He swallowed. "Give me one minute, and then I'm all yours. In the other room, I guess."

"See you in fifty-six seconds, Light-chan."

__________________________

Light glared at Ryuk in the bathroom mirror. "What the _hell_ is wrong with you? Why can't you just shut up or go somewhere else?"

Ryuk laughed. "Why can't you just ignore me? This is more entertaining than almost anything you've done so far. I mean, you're a serial killer uke. I personally find that hilarious." Light was fuming. He wasn't sure how L had ended up seme, and he didn't particularly mind, but being caught being submissive made him furious. "Besides, I left you alone last night…."

"If anything physical could kill you, you'd be _dead._"

"If it weren't for me, none of this would've happened."

"Yes it would."

"Nuh-uh. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be Kira, and then you wouldn't have ever met L. And if you had never met him, I think you'd have some trouble screwing him." Light had to admit, the shinigami was right. But he wasn't going to give up.

"Ryuk, just back off, okay? I'll get you more apples later if you leave us alone for a few hours. I promise."

Ryuk nodded. "Only for apples."

__________________________

It had been sixty-eight seconds and Light wasn't back. L realized that he probably hadn't meant exactly a minute and he tried to calm down. He felt a piece of candy in his pocket and popped it into his mouth. Sugar always helped him remain collected. He managed to relax enough that he had a small smile on his face by the time Light came out of the bathroom. The younger man sat next to L on the bed.

"Just for the record, I'm not gay." So he was in denial. L would have to change that.

"Uh-_huh._" L, on impulse, kissed him softly, quickly. "Are you sure?"

Light laughed, lighting up his already perfect features. "Okay, maybe just a little." He leaned towards L and swept his black hair off his face, lifting his chin with two fingers. "Or a lot." He pulled L's mouth to his own and slipped his tongue in, quickly finding the candy L had been sucking on. He pulled back. "Swallow it, Ryuu. Now, or we won't do any more." If it had been anyone else or any other threat, L probably would've refused. As it was, he reluctantly swallowed his candy and grimaced.

"Better?"

"Much." This time L initiated the kiss, immediately pushing Light's mouth open with his tongue, keeping himself in control. Light struggled to gain the upper hand, but L kept him firmly pressed down on the bed. L slid a hand across Light's already bare chest, stopping at his waistband.

"I prefer you as a man," L said, laughing softly. Light smiled back and kissed him again, pushing his hands up his chest and removing his shirt. The younger man wrapped his arms around L's neck as the detective began unbuttoning his pants and feeling around. As Light moaned and got hard, L took his mouth off the boy's and glared at him. "You're vibrating."

Light slid his mouth down L's chest. "Excuse me?"

"Your phone. In your purse." L disentangled himself from Light's grasp and the younger man walked over to the chair his purse was on, where his phone was indeed ringing. He looked at the caller ID. Restricted. Figuring it could be something important, he looked back at L and pulled his pants back up.

"I should probably take this."

__________________________

L really hated cellphones. They always interrupted his conversations, and now they were screwing up his sex life. He wondered if Light really had to take the call or if he was just trying to get out of what they were getting close to doing. Who could it be? Light hadn't said. What if he had someone else? L leaned closer and listened as Light answered his phone with a weary "Hello?"

He hadn't even finished speaking when a blaring female voice answered. "Light-kun! Where are you!"

__________________________

**OHHHH. MISA-MISA GETS INVOLVED. I guess I just have a passion for watching them squirm in discomfort.  
I bet y'all totally expected another lemon. But nope. I'm too evil for that.  
I've planned through the end now! Twelve chapters, I _think_. (And to think this was originally planned to be a oneshot.) But I'm really shaky about the last one. So tell me, everyone. What do you want to happen?**


	5. Misa

**So, this chapter is really short. I know. I'm sorry.  
But chapter six and what I've written of seven is another ten pages, and seven will be lo-ong.  
Alas, you are not going to read them for a while. I'm doing NaNoWriMo, and so I won't get much of this done. So, sorry that I'll be keeping you waiting.  
Thanks to Black-Dranzer-1119 (no idea if i got that right...) for being such a faithful reviewer. Thanks to the rest of you too.  
Love bandanability, who owns nothing.**

**Later Edit (2/1/09) - Rewrote it! Yay! It's still hideously short, and still pretty much PwP, but still. NOT AS SUCKY LEMON, I think. Reviews yesyes?**

**_________________________**

Every sentence spoken in that grating tone warranted an exclamation point. "Misa-Misa has been so worried about you! Are you okay!" L saw Light's frustrated expression and decided that it was unlikely that he cared about this woman enough to care if L provided some assistance. He walked over and took the phone from Light with two fingers.

"I'm sorry; who did you say this was?"

"Light-kun! Is that you! It's Misa-Misa, obviously!" The voice sounded confused, but not subdued. L quickly determined that this woman was thick enough that only the blunt truth would reach through her head. L breathed hard as he answered, distracted by a kneeling Light unbuttoning and pulling down his jeans, smiling at his lack of boxers and bringing his lips to L's hipbone.

"No, but Light-_chan_ is right here. He's a bit too busy sucking my –" Light stood up and grabbed the phone out of L's hand.

"Sorry about him, Misa, but now isn't the best time." L sat on the bed, looking on curiously.

He could hear the pout in the girl's voice on the other end as he sat back on the bed. "But…but when can we have a date? I miss my Light-kun!" L's fists clenched at her careless use of the possessive. If Light belonged to anyone, it was _him_. Judging by Light's pained expression, he agreed.

Light felt like an idiot. Why hadn't he accounted for the clingy model before? He wished he could make her leave him alone, but he did _not_ want an angry Rem ready to kill him. He looked at L, desperate for help. When he got none, he returned to the phone.

"Misa, I really have to go now. I'll call you later." Without waiting for a response, he ended the call and turned the phone off. "Ryuu, I'm really sorry about that."

"So who is she?"

Light wasn't sure how to respond, so he told some approximation of the truth. "Amane Misa. She's completely convinced we're together, even though I have no interest whatsoever in her." He was relieved to see L relax. "You don't have to worry." He walked over to L and sat on his lap. "I…am…all…yours," he said, punctuating the words with kisses, starting on his shoulder and ending on his lips, where L kept him firmly pressed. The detective's hand felt along the small of Light's back and pulled him closer. L's tongue ran across the teen's lips, slipping into his mouth. Light fought back, grabbing at his shoulders and holding him close, until their bare chests were in contact everywhere possible. They stayed in that position, thoroughly _together, _for several minutes, doing no more until L ran a hand down Light's back, into his pants, which were, conveniently, unfastened. It only took one tug to get them around the brunet's knees, and the teen kicked them off. In one fluid motion, L twisted so that he was on top. Light would've sighed in frustration if his mouth hadn't been preoccupied. _Serial killer uke._ All thoughts of that were, of course, forgotten when L slipped his hand into the waistband of his boxers, stroking the edge of his hip, letting his hand gravitate towards the center. He moved his other hand down and used it to remove the younger man's boxers. Light moaned against L's lips as the insomniac began rubbing his hand up, down, _everywhere_ on his shaft, attacking the teen's lips to the same rhythm. Light's hips buckled upward and L moved his hands to grab them, but they were already out of the older man's reach as Light pulled his mouth away.

"Light?" L murmured, confused.

"Can't make you do _all_ the work, Ryuu."

Before L could reply, Light was sliding down, tracing patterns with one hand on the detective's chest while the other reached his groin just before his mouth. He took L's member in his mouth, bobbing his head up and down as it hardened even more. He pulled away and found a more innovative place, nipping and sucking around the head while his fingers drummed erratic beats in his pubic hair. L was rock-hard by this point, but Light continued relentlessly, constantly changing his method. If L's heavy breathing and groans were any indicator, his creativity was paying off. As he kept playing games and establishing rhythms with his tongue, L gently stroked Light's back and neck, toying with his light hair. He kept at it until he tasted precum on his tongue.

He pulled his head back, and then removed his hand from its position, running it up L's thigh. He trailed his mouth up the detective's chest, finally working his way to the man's neck. He sucked gently on the pale flesh, extracting another moan from L. The insomniac reached one hand towards the bedside table and pulled off the tube of lubricant he had had before, handing it to his lover. Light squirted some on his hand and rubbed it on the older man's member sensually before wrapping his legs around L's waist.

"Eager, aren't we?" the detective commented huskily, positioning himself. Light let out the ghost of a laugh, more resembling a whimper, as he felt L slipping inside of him. It still hurt like a bitch, but he bit his lip and allowed the insomniac to penetrate him fully.

L breathed heavily as he pulled out slowly and thrust again, not aiming for the teen's prostate just yet. He repeated the motion several times, simply appreciating the heat he was encased in, before noticing that Light looked less than comfortable. He shifted his position and entered the brunet again, and his lips twisted into a smile when he felt hands clawing at his back, accompanied by a low moan. He pushed in again, at the same deliberate, slow pace, hitting the same spot again and grinding his hips against Light's, causing the teen to grab his back and buck his hips against the detective's. L remained in the same position for a moment before Light pulled him closer and spoke into his ear.

"_Fuck,_ Ryuu, you wanna go a little _slower?_" he panted, barely able to manage his usual biting sarcasm. L smirked and slipped a hand in the miniscule space between their sweaty bodies to run a hand along Light's erection before complying, repeatedly driving himself into the teen's prostate, savoring the heat. Light moaned softly, muscles clenched, as he tried to delay coming as long as possible. The sudden change in tightness forced L over the edge, causing him to come inside the teen before pulling out a final time. Light quickly followed, the pair collapsing together. The older man wrapped his arms around Light's chest and kissed his neck.

As L pushed his mouth against Light's soft skin, he almost laughed in delight. He, the legendary L, had a lover, had a friend. He moved his lips up to Light's ear, where he nipped the lobe. The brunet giggled effeminately, and L smirked. He settled down next to his friend, holding him close for a morning nap. Once the boy's breathing became balanced and relaxed, L pressed his lips against Light's ear.

"I love you, you know."

**_________________________**

**Funny little story. After writing halfway through six, I realized that I had completely neglected lube in my lemons. (Which, by the way, there will be six of. I think.)  
So I had to go back and edit them in. To ALL of them. Because bad biology fails. If you reread the original chapter three, you'll see the awkwardly placed and never explained tube. c: I'm an idiot.  
Sorry that I won't update for a while, and sorry this is so short!  
And I hope that ending wasn't too fluffy!**

**...I just realized this chapter was originally less than a thousand words.  
The at-least-eight pages of chapter seven shall make up for it, I promise.**


	6. Force

**c: AN UPDATE. AT LAST.  
A pretty good length chapter, too.  
I own nothing.**

It was early afternoon when Light opened his eyes. He looked around and saw L crouching on the floor with a laptop balanced on his knees, a cupcake in one hand. The detective looked up and smiled. "Good afternoon, Light-chan."

"'Afternoon," Light replied, mouth pressed into his pillow. He lifted his head. "What're you doing?"

"Working on the case." Light grimaced, hoping L wouldn't see. "I've been thinking." Oh. So even after everything they had done, he was still a suspect. "I want you to become an official member of the investigation team."

Light looked at L incredulously. "But…but didn't you think I was Kira?"

"Kira would never be uke." L laughed. Light clenched his fists, but quickly relaxed. Whatever cleared his name.

"Well, if you're serious, I'd love to join. When can I start?"

"Tomorrow. I don't make them work holidays."

"I'm in."

"Then come over here. I need to fill you in on everything we have for the case." Light nodded and walked towards the older man, folding gracefully into a sitting position beside his lover, their hips just barely touching.

The next several hours were spent reviewing the facts of the investigation. At times, Light let his mind wander, thinking of ways to make the case move forward, perhaps get Misa caught, without letting the existence of the death note be revealed. With a flash of inspiration, he returned his thoughts to the conversation.

He interrupted the detective's tangent about the second Kira with a quiet "Ryuu?"

"Yes, Light-chan?"

How to say it without sounding like he knew for sure? "I think Misa might be the second Kira." L looked surprised, so Light ticked off reasons on his fingers. "Hear me out. I've known her for a while, but she began to seem distracted just before the first of the Kira tapes was received. The distraction level increased after the 23rd, when the second Kira was supposedly in Aoyama. Misa told me she had plans out of town that day. She's mentioned wishing some criminals would be brought to justice by Kira, and then they were. Her parents were murdered. She's immature enough to believe the world could be cleansed of 'evil.' And she says she supports Kira. Also –"

"I believe you," L cut in. "It's perfectly logical. I can have her investigated under suspicion of being the second Kira tonight, and we can, as a team, discuss it tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan."

____________________________

"You've all met Yagami Light before. I've been talking to him, and I think his deductive abilities could be an asset to our team. We were discussing the case last night.

"Last night, Light-kun theorized that Amane Misa, a young woman he knows, is the second Kira. Mogi-san. What did you find in her room?" L asked, trying to ignore the way Light's tight pants were catching all the right places.

"Enough evidence to convict her. For example, cat hairs found in her room matched those found on the tape, as well as some makeup and clothing fibers, and she had the same note paper as the diary entry. Either she is the second Kira or she is deeply involved."

"Thank you, Mogi-san. Does everyone agree that Amane should be apprehended?"

Matsuda raised his hand like a schoolchild. "Well, won't that be too public? She's a model, you know." He looked pleased with himself for knowing that fact. "And then we'd have to tell the public that she was the second Kira, and then explain that there are two Kiras –"

L finished Matsuda's statement. "And that would only cause chaos. Shall we tell her agent that she was caught with illegal substances? She's a model, it's not uncommon."

He looked around the room to see the men nodding. Matsuda, still feeling proud, added exuberantly, "And then we can find out how she kills and catch the real Kira! Speaking of which, what's going on with Light-san? Is he cleared of suspicion or what? How did that happen? You said he was officially one of us now, so, just wondering?" Light's smile dropped and L began thinking. He couldn't exactly say Light being uke was his reasoning, seeing as Soichiro was sitting across the room. Also, he wondered, was that really enough to clear his name? Light could simply be inexperienced.

"He's not." Light stared at L. "Actually, I plan on keeping Light-kun under surveillance until he proves himself innocent." Matsuda nodded while Light's jaw dropped further. "Watari?"

The old man walked up behind L and handed him a briefcase. L popped the lock open and pulled out something metal.

Handcuffs.

"Can we have a minute to talk?" Light asked.

____________________________

Light glared at the detective sitting next to him. "I thought you trusted me, _Ryuu. _I thought I proved I wasn't Kira."

"You never did. I no longer believe that you are, but it hasn't been proven. Besides, we can't exactly tell the task force that your name was cleared on account of your being uke. That might not go over well with your father. And these handcuffs mean we have no choice but to sleep in the same room," here L caressed Light's face, "and go to the bathroom together," a soft kiss on the mouth, "and shower together…." He pulled Light across his body and the teen smiled.

"I get the idea. So this _could_ be a good thing." But it wouldn't be. Now that he _and_ Misa were both incapable of using their death notes, the killings would stop in a few days, and they wouldn't start again until one of them was released. Killing Misa wouldn't achieve anything, as it would only get him killed by Rem. And he couldn't forfeit his ownership – then no one would be able to help achieve his perfect world. It was an admirably paradoxical situation. There was nothing he could do, but he couldn't _do _nothing. He was fucked, unless L released him within the next three days, before his list of criminals waiting to die ran out. There was nothing he could do besides distract L from the case, so he lifted his head to press his lips to L's. "I guess we'll find out."

L kissed him once and unwrapped his arms. "Don't want to keep them waiting too long."

____________________________

The task force piled back into the room. "So, are we cleared to arrest Misa?" Soichiro asked.

L nodded and pulled his thumb out of his mouth. "We can do it tomorrow. I can have her come in to see Light, and we can apprehend her at the door." He had just thought of the plan, but it would work if the girl really thought she was dating Light, and if he _was_ Kira, she'd be even more willing to come."

Light raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "So I get to be bait for Kira's number one fan, who also could easily kill me?" He pouted. "Besides, she'll know something's wrong. I'm handcuffed to you, after all."

"She's too obsessed with you to kill you. We'll just have her come to the building. If she can kill with just a face, she can't see me, so she can't see you either. Everyone else, you can just tell her Light-kun is in our room and then lead her to the containment cell."

Light sighed. "Fine."

____________________________

Light paced across the room he and L were going to be sleeping in, dialing Misa's number. She picked up on the second ring.

"Light-kun! Misa has been _waiting_ for you to call for _three_ hours!"

Light kept his tone controlled as he replied. "Hi, Misa. I was wondering what you were doing tomorrow and if –"

"Yes! I'm free! For you, I'm always free! We should go to the movies! I think we should! Unless you have something else you want to do! Misa-Misa would do _anything_ as long as it's with Light-kun!" Light rolled his eyes. L giggled and the younger man stuck out his tongue.

"Sure. Can we meet at my hotel at noon?"

"Uh-huh! Why is Light-kun staying in a hotel?" Light flinched and looked to L for an answer.

"Parents," L mouthed. Light repeated it.

"Oh! Okay! Well, what's the address?" Light read it off of where L was writing it down. "Misa-Misa will be there at eleven thirty!" Misa was silent for a moment and Light heard one of her other phones ringing. "I have to go, Light-kun! I'll see you tomorrow. Love you! Good night!" The girl hung up and Light groaned.

"God, she's annoying. She just makes me so – ugh." The man rubbed his temples.

"She's certainly quite exuberant. Do you have a headache?"

"A little. No big deal." Light's head _was_ throbbing, but he didn't want to be a drama queen.

"Would you like me to rub your head? I'm quite good with my hands." Light didn't need to be reminded to know _that. _But the offer was tempting, so he agreed.

"Yes, please." L pushed Light down into a chair, climbing up to perch on the back. The detective's hands began sliding over Light's scalp, running through his auburn hair. L's bare toes tickled his neck. The boy sighed and groaned. "You have no idea how good that feels."

L smiled. "I can think of some things that would feel better." Light tilted his head back and L bent over him, brushing the boy's lips against his own. The younger man raised his arms over his head to wrap around L's neck. The foundations of patterns that had been forming over the last day and a half – _had it only been thirty hours? – _were completely lost when the element of angles was thrown off. L pushed his tongue through Light's lips and savored the taste. The insomniac then lifted his head up and pushed a thumb into his mouth when Light spoke.

"What?" Instead of replying, L took his free hand and grabbed the boy's shoulder, turning him so that he was kneeling on the chair, facing the detective, the chain dangling between them. Oh. So that was all. Light leaned away when L began to come closer. Instead of kissing the older man, he lifted his thumb, where the skin was raw and red. He pulled the hand to his mouth and licked the callused skin. The flavor had almost entirely been leeched away by L's constant nibbling and sucking. He moaned when Light bit down gently on a hanging piece of skin and tore it away.

Light's eyes widened as the detective leaned in to suck on it as well. Soon, their lips met and the thumb was forgotten. Light lifted his arms and wrapped his fingers into messy black hair, letting L explore his mouth freely. Light disentangled one hand and slipped it up the back of L's white shirt. He pulled the man closer and discovered that his current position put his mouth in a potentially convenient location. He moved the hand clutching his lover's back to reach his hips, where they traced the waistband until a zipper was found. As his hand struggled to unbutton L's jeans, the detective moved his hands to unbutton Light's shirt. Light lifted his hands from where they had finished undoing his jeans to slip his arms out of the sleeves so the insomniac could pull it off. L said something incomprehensible without removing his lips from the boy's. Light pulled away.

"What?"

"It seems we have an issue." L pointed at where the shirt was hooked on the chain, weighing it down. Light sighed.

"That _is _a problem." L fished around in his back pocket and held a key up, knocking the lube onto the floor as well. He unlocked the handcuffs and slid the shirt off of them, then pulled his own shirt off too. He closed the metal bands back onto their wrists.

Problem solved, Light crushed his mouth against L's, putting his hands back on the half-naked detective's pants, sliding them down to around his ankles along with his boxers, where L kicked them across the room. Light left his hands where they were, softly dragging his fingers everywhere he saw fit, and deciding to let his mouth join them, he began to slide down L's chest. The older man stopped him, but didn't say anything. Instead, L shifted his position so that both boys were sharing the chair, with L behind his lover. He kissed the boy's collarbone gently, once, and lifted his mouth. He ran his hands in a V shape down Light's chest, letting them join at Light's waistband. Relying purely on touch, he removed the pants and boxers, and Light pulled them off, tossing them onto the bed. The older man placed his hands at the tip of his friend's pelvic bone and ran them to the center, where he massaged Light softly, letting the chain hit just behind his hand. L slid his mouth down Light's back, moving one hand so he could lift the lube off the floor, unscrewing the cap and rubbing it on with a single hand, allowing the other to continue stroking Light. The boy became harder than he already was, and L bent at his waist and slipped himself into the younger man. Light moaned and his hips shot up to meet the man inside of him. _Fuck, that feels amazing, _Light thought.L withdrew and thrust time after time, until Light lost track of anything other than the ecstasy threatening to overwhelm him as he came. L immediately followed, but his incessant pattern never paused, only sped up. After what seemed like an eternity, he removed himself for the final time.

____________________________

Light fell asleep on the floor almost immediately. L lifted his unconscious lover and set him on the bed, admiring the stain, which would need to be dealt with the next day. L pulled the blankets up to surround them and pressed his chest to the boy's bare back. He rested his chin in the hollow area above the boy's collarbone, where he let it stay as his eyelids fluttered shut. One last thought crossed his mind before he drifted off.

_Kira or not, he's incredible at that._

____________________________

**two days later**

Sleeping wasn't a priority item on L's agenda, but once he was out, he was out. Light had discovered that over the past few days. The man always slept better after sex, and the dark circles under his eyes were visibly smaller than they had been a few days ago.

Light woke up with the man pressed against his back, the chain connecting the metal handcuffs resting between them. Light couldn't get up without waking the detective, but the clock read past noon, meaning they were several hours late for work. Luckily, this was the first time, so it was unlikely that the task force would realize what exactly was occurring behind the closed door. Light turned and watched L sigh in his sleep, looking far calmer than he ever did when awake. He reached a hand over to shake his lover and wake him up when L's cellphone rang. Grumbling, his eyes fluttered open. He smiled to see Light watching him, and then he reached a hand over to the nightstand where the phone was ringing, feeling around for it. He finally got a grip on it and pulled it to his ear.

"Mmm?" he mumbled.

A voice, which sounded like Soichiro responded. L listened, sitting up with his eyes wide, suddenly awake when he answered.

"Really? You do realize what this means, don't you?"

Another reply from Soichiro.

"And you're sure? Well, as long as you know, we're going to need to figure something out as a team. Yes, I know. We'll be down momentarily. Mmhmm. I'll tell him. Thank you." He closed the phone and sat up.

L looked at Light blankly, with a hint of hostility and sadness behind his gaze. Light hadn't seen that stare since before the event, and he knew that something was wrong. Worried for his lover, he reached out a hand to rest it on his thigh and calm him down, but the detective flinched away. Light looked at him questioningly. When the detective replied, his voice was like his stare – empty and hurt.

"The killings have stopped."

**YEAH, I WENT THERE.  
I'm still in the process of writing seven. It's eight pages so far of EPIC.  
But don't expect an update too soon. Meaning another few weeks. I have ridiculous amounts of writer's block threatening to overwhelm my brain.  
(As for NaNoWriMo, I failed. I gave up. I needed to write this.)**


	7. Suspicion

**So. Please don't eat my brain. Please.  
I know it took a very, very long time. It's ten pages though - that must count for something(~)!  
I'm actually quite proud of this chapter. It has my favorite scene so far.**

**

* * *

  
**

"So Misa was Kira?" Light asked. L knew that the boy was Kira for sure now – so why did he feel so terrible? He stated the obvious in his monotonous tone.

"No, Misa was the second Kira. _You_ are Kira." L tried to avoid meeting Light's eyes. "You remember that the killings decreased when she was apprehended. But now they've stopped completely. If she was the second Kira and doing half of the murders, then some would still be occurring. My theory is that the first Kira, the intelligent one, meaning you, planned ahead. If you can control the time of death, you would've probably accounted for something happening a few days in advance. But we've been connected for two days now, and they've stopped entirely. So, by that logic, you must be Kira." L finally looked at Light, furious. Furious at Light for being a murderer. Furious at himself for screwing a murder. Furious at Light for being so fucking attractive.

____________

Light met L's empty gaze. "I'm not Kira, L. What will it take for me to prove it to you?"

The detective's response was disturbingly cold. "Nothing. You can't do anything. I'm going to monitor the situation for two more days. If they haven't restarted by then, obviously you are Kira. If they have, you _were_ Kira and somehow passed on the ability, like Misa's tapes threatened." Light's mind was racing. He would need to give up his death note within two days if he wanted to live, but the only way that would work is if he stuck with his original plan, which would include L dying. And he'd rather die than live without the detective. But the killings would need to start again….Several thoughts connected in his mind. Misa…death note…giving it up….

"Ryuu?" He used the nickname out of instinct, and the insomniac flinched. "Can I see Misa today? I want to talk to someone in my situation." His voice was shaking.

"Light." His voice was flat.

"Yes?"

"I don't want you communicating with her. You two could think of some kind of plan, or something. You would be hindering the case."

"Fuck you, Ryuu."

"You've already done that. Several times."

"Pervert."

"Uke."

"Work-centered emotionless _bitch."_ The two were standing up, glaring at one another, foreheads almost touching.

"Murderer."

"Am not."

"Yes, you are."

"I am _not fucking Kira._" Light pulled his fist back and let it fly into L's face. The detective let out a soft "oh" as he fell back, pulling the handcuffs taut. Light watched with satisfaction as the man got back up.

"That hurt, Light."

"You deserved it."

"That's _it._" L's foot crashed into Light's face. "You just can't stand the fact that I won. I _won, _Light. I can prove that you're Kira, meaning I was right all along. You've lost. Give it up." Light wiped a drop of blood off his mouth.

"Ryuuzaki, nobody is trying to win here. I just want to prove that I'm innocent. Is that such an issue?"

"But you're not innocent. You're a killer," L snarled. "No matter what you say, it's true. We can arrest you now."

"What are you going to do to me, then? Is your sense of justice greater than your emotional capability? Is your need to always be right stronger than your need for other people?" L tackled him, shoving his shoulders into the floor.

"I do _not,_" L hissed in his ear, "need _you._" The words stung, and Light punched him again, this time in the shoulder. L cringed.

As the insomniac drew his leg back to kick the boy, Light grabbed the back of his neck, clumsily crushing their lips together. L responded forcefully, pulling Light's hair and shoving his tongue into the teen's mouth. He shoved a knee between Light's legs and pushed gently, the threat apparent. Light slid one hand down the man's neck and softly tightened his grip on his pressure points.

"Touché, Kira," L grumbled, speaking with their lips pressed together. Light rolled his eyes as the detective moved his leg to one side of the younger man's thighs, so that he was straddling the boy. Light pulled himself upright using the man's neck as support, making L cry out with the pain the pressure caused, without once separating their lips. L grabbed Light's elbow and yanked the pair upright. Light wasn't sure what the detective intended to do, exactly.

They drew back for breath, glaring at one another, and clashed back together. L hooked a foot around Light's ankle, making him fall into the wall behind them. The insomniac shoved him up the wall, so his feet were barely touching the ground, and forcefully removed the boy's shirt, too impatient to take it off of the chain connecting them. Light, pressed firmly against the wall, slid his hands up L's back and tugged the white tee over his head, ripping several black hairs out of L's scalp in the process. L's hands fumbled with Light's pants, rushing to get them off. The younger man moved his hands down to help, but instead slid them to the top of L's jeans, where they slipped down the back, feeling the man's muscular ass. As L pulled Light's pants down, the murderer slipped his hands to L's boner, squeezing it inside his boxers momentarily before opting to take them off entirely, after pulling the always-there lubricant out of the back pocket. He applied it liberally, hands moving nimbly. Light groaned and wrapped a bare leg around his lover's waist while L moved one hand to pump violently on his erection. Light's hips flew to meet the touch, and he spread his legs. L moved his hand and leaned in towards Light's opening, forcing himself in.

"Mmm! Harder!" the boy panted in response to the pressure. L punctuated his reply with strong, steady thrusts.

"I cannot…believe I…am fucking…a murderer."

Light felt the man glaring at his cheek, but didn't respond, instead crying out some approximation of the man's name as he hit something. His back arched and L repeatedly drew in and out until Light came, after which he simply pressed his lips to the boy's in an irritatingly gentle fashion. The younger man shuddered in a combination of pleasure and anger, wrapping one hand in the detective's hair, the other around his throbbing member. L moaned and Light smirked.

"I told you. You _need_ me. You couldn't do this to yourself," Light muttered with a sneer. L was too busy groaning to reply, and he came as Light squeezed harder. The teen laughed as he stroked a single finger down L's shaft. "You can't lock me up," he purred. "Even if I was Kira, which I am _not_, it would mean years of abstinence. That can't be a pleasant idea, even to someone as socially inept as you." His exact words were unclear and slurred, his eyes clouded with lust, but L understood the intent.

"Kira, you bast–"

Light crushed his lips against L's, interrupting the final word. Once the detective was fully silenced, he removed his mouth. "I'm not Kira."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not!"

"You are, but this conversation is going nowhere. I said you have two days until it will be confirmed."

The boy decided not to fight back, instead continuing a long-forgotten conversation. "Can I see Misa tonight, then? I need to talk to her. You can be there and everything – I just have something I really need to get off my chest."

"And what is that?"

"I don't want her to…" Light had a flash of inspiration. "I want her to know I don't return her feelings. I don't want us to be separated and then reunited with her expecting romance, only to disappoint her. I want to let her find something else to love before we're arrested, if the killings don't start."

"You don't sound like yourself, Light-kun."

Light sighed. "Well, I want to tie up loose ends in case I…you know. Never see any of these people again." He tried to sound upset, and it seemed to work. L's brow was creased in an almost sympathetic expression, and although he wasn't convinced, the detective saw nothing wrong with the two meeting, as long as he was there and Misa was still in her cell. He decided to allow the request.

"Fine." Light hugged the man, who pushed him away. "But you only have a few minutes, and I'll be there."

"When?" He tried not to sound too impatient.

"Now."

____________

Light looked at Misa's limp frame through the glass, Rem floating morosely behind her. L handed him the microphone, and he spoke.

"Misa?"

Even after going days in confinement, the blond still had an excitable personality. "Light-kun? Is that you? You came for me?"

"Yeah, it's me. I want to tell you –"

Misa cut him off. "That you love me? I love you too!" A smile spread across what Light could see of her face.

"Misa, give it up. Unless the killings start again, and _soon, _we're going to get arrested." Misa's lips formed an O shape here, and Light hoped it meant she understood. Rem was nodding, seeming to grasp what he was getting at. He continued. "In case we never see each other again, I had something I wanted to tell you."

"Mmm?"

"Misa, I can't be with you. Life requires us to make sacrifices, and I feel terrible that your connection with me got you in here. I don't know whether or not you're the second Kira, but either way, you deserve to know the truth. I don't feel the same way towards you as you do for me. Maybe in time, it could've become mutual, but I don't want your time alone – if we aren't proven innocent – to be stuck thinking about someone who, chances are, you will never be with. I'm sorry Misa, but you should find some other passion."

The blond seemed highly offended at first, but the shinigami whispered into her ear. The girl's insulted expression relaxed a bit. "I get it, Light-kun. I completely get it." She grimaced. "I give up. I'd get rid of everything – _everything _– for you. I give it all up, but for now, I can move on." Rem shook her head and disappeared as Misa's face went blank.

"Misa, thank you. I have to leave now, but hopefully, I'll see you soon."

The woman made a noise of confusion, but didn't protest.

____________

"She took that better than I expected," L murmured as the two men changed for the night, facing away from one another. He was surprised, but maybe Misa had come to accept her fate and no longer had her former energy. At least it made Light's life easier – but he couldn't think of it that way. Light was a murderer. His life didn't matter.

"I'm glad. I felt awful, leading her on." Light frowned and walked towards L, extending a wrist. The detective re-cuffed him. "I should've told her before it came to this. Maybe then she would never have gotten involved…."

The remorse in Light's voice pained L. "Well, she _is_ the second Kira. I'm over ninety-nine percent sure. So she would've gotten involved quite soon anyway – you simply sped the process up."

"I guess so." Light sighed. The two men pulled down the sheets, L trying to ignore the way Light wore only boxers to bed. He turned away to face the wall instead of Light, determined to stop thinking about the boy in any sexual or romantic way. He turned off the light on the table next to the bed, and the two sat in silence for several moments.

Light's voice finally cut through the still air. "I'm sorry, Ryuu. I shouldn't have hit you earlier."

L didn't respond until Light was asleep. When the boy's breathing seemed to be completely steady, he spoke.

"I'm sorry too." Light snaked an arm around L's waist and pulled them into a comfortable position. L jumped a bit at the realization that the boy was awake, but then relaxed in his friend's grip. They slipped off into unconsciousness together.

____________

L woke up and smiled at Light's arm resting on his shoulder. He rolled over and saw that the boy's eyes were open slightly. He rested his head against Light's chest and ran one finger down the curve of his waist, stopping at a particularly nasty bruise, remembering how it got there. Light flinched when he touched it and L spoke quietly.

"What, does Kira-kun hurt?"

"Not Kira," Light mumbled, too tired to say anything more.

"I'll believe it when I see it." The detective stepped out of bed, unlocking the handcuffs as he changed into his regular clothing.

"Mmm. Better be soon." Light picked his clothes up off the floor and pulled them on.

"Aren't we hygienic today?"

"A bit too tired to care. Besides, if I get locked up, what does hygiene matter?"

It pained L to hear the resigned tone of Light's voice. "Well, if you really aren't Kira, you might never have to be locked up."

"Weren't you just insisting that I _am_ Kira?" The teen was fully awake by now, and his clouded-over expression had been replaced by his usual one – arrogant and bored. L grimaced.

"I said _if._ I still firmly believe that you're Kira. Shall we go to work instead of arguing?"

"Fine, sure." Light held out his wrist and L locked the cuffs.

____________

Light tapped his foot impatiently as he searched through useless documents supposedly related to the case. Why was Rem taking so long? The handcuff was chafing his wrist and he could feel L staring at him. Self-conscious, he glanced up at the television in the corner. It was off, as usual. L insisted that he didn't want Light aware of any new crimes, to keep him from killing. Of course, Light would need a place to actually use the death note, but L didn't have to know that…. He refused to finish the thought. The death note was a thing of the past until the deaths began again. Annoyed with Rem, he sighed.

L peered at him. "Something wrong, Light?"

"No, just frustrated with myself for wishing criminals would start dying again. I'm being selfish, I know."

Soichiro looked over at the two men. "What do you mean, you wish they were dying? I thought we were trying to prevent people from thinking that way!"

Light looked at L, confused. "You haven't told him?"

"No."

"Told me what?"

"That if the killings don't start again within two days –" Light began.

L cut him off. "Then we'll convict him and Misa Amane as Kira and the second Kira. Most likely, they will be executed."

Soichiro's mouth fell open as he turned a deep red. "Oh," he whispered. The rest of the investigation team looked surprised, but none so much as Light's father.

L immediately returned to his computer. "Now, will this distract you from the case? If so, please take the day off." He looked at the rest of the team. "That goes for you too."

Soichiro looked at his son and L, standing up after several moments. "You're right, I can't handle this today. I'm sorry." He slipped several papers into his briefcase and walked out the door. Matsuda waved halfheartedly, but nobody else made any move to leave.

L surveyed the room. "Now that that's over, who would like to get me some cake?"

Mogi nodded and slipped out of the room, returning after only a moment, a slice in his hand. He handed it to L, who began devouring it. Light watched L's lips, mesmerized, until the detective noticed him staring.

"Light-kun, if you don't mind, there is work for you to be doing." L gestured at the files the teen was holding. He blushed and looked down, absent-mindedly sorting them. He sneaked a glance at L, who was suddenly smiling. He typed something and clicked, his whole face lit up. Light wondered who he was talking to and tried to stay relaxed. L didn't have a social life and barely knew anyone outside of the team, so obviously it was just that the cake was good. _Something like that,_ Light assured himself. L's eyes flickered over to him, and he pretended he was working.

____________

After several more hours of the monotony, L announced that everyone could leave. He glanced again at his screen before leading Light to their room. The two stood near the couch, facing one another. They sat in silence for a few moments until Light spoke.

"So, what put you in such a good mood today?"

"Oh, nothing important. I received a letter from a former colleague, that's all." It wasn't entirely a lie. He _had, _after all, gotten a letter from Roger. It just wasn't the reason for his mood. Light appeared to accept it and nodded his head once before sinking into the couch. L sat next to him, noticing that the boy was pale, his shoulders shaking slightly. "Light-kun? Are you okay?"

He looked up and glared. "Why the _hell_ would you think I'm okay, L?" The detective cringed at the use of his name and at the beads of water forming at the edges of Light's eyes. "I've now screwed the world's greatest detective, I fell in fucking _love_ with said detective, who is also supposedly my _rival,_ and now he's going to fucking _kill_ me? And somehow you think I'm going to be okay? For some _strange _reason, I don't think I am." L bit his lip as Light's eyes overflowed. _Light's in love with me? What?_ He didn't have time to think too much about it, as the brunet was now sobbing into L's collarbone. The detective was thrown off balance and awkwardly petted his friend's hair. Light shook quietly, twisting his hands into the white tee he was so fond of removing.

____________

Light swore at himself. What the hell was he doing? Kira wasn't supposed to show weakness. Then again, Light wasn't supposed to be gay, but that hadn't stopped him. Sensing L's discomfort, he lifted his head off of the man's neck.

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for," he muttered, reaching a hand up to wipe his eyes. L caught the hand in his own and reached the other up to Light's face, where he used his thumb to rub away the tears. Once they were gone, he left his hand on the boy's cheek, speaking quietly.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing." Light's brow furrowed in confusion. "I've been giving you two entirely different treatments. On the one hand, I'm trying to convict you, and I'm ready to put you to death. On the other, I'm treating you as a lover, a friend. You have every right to be upset. You must think I'm something awful."

Light leaned against the hand resting on his cheek. He spoke sadly. "No, it's okay. You need to be the top three detectives in the world. You can't let a little something like this get in the way of your life's work. I understand – I'm the most likely suspect, so this shouldn't even be happening."

____________

L frowned, his thoughts churning. Light was right in that he shouldn't let his emotions get in the way of his work. So what was he doing? Disgusted with himself, he pushed the boy off of him.

"You're right. I shouldn't be doing this. You can have the bed, I'll take the couch." He stood up, pulling Light to his feet. "Grab the other end of this, would you? We need to get this close enough that the handcuffs will reach."

"No, Ryuuzaki –"

The detective cut him off. "Shut up. You can help me if you want, but if not, I'll do it myself. Regardless, I'm doing it." To prove his point, he began dragging the couch towards the bed. Light sighed, resigned, and lifted the other end. The two moved it to next to the bed.

Light sat on the bed and lay across it. L sat on the couch and pulled his knees up, fishing an old piece of candy out of his pocket. He watched as Light's face relaxed from slightly irritated and very upset to perfectly blank, calm. The detective steadied his breathing and watched the boy sleep_. Why did you have to say that? He'd be fine sleeping with you. All you've succeeded in doing is upsetting him more._ The thought processes continued for hours as L watched the boy breathe. Light stirred and L stayed silent, not wanting to wake him up. The boy rolled over, falling off the bed and onto the couch. L cushioned his head with his hands and straightened his legs, letting the head settle on his knees. He stroked Light's hair softly and let him sleep, going over their conversation in his head.

____________

Light's eyes fluttered open, pressed against bare skin. As everything came into focus, he jumped. He was looking straight between two smooth legs, and judging by what was between them, it definitely wasn't L.

"Light-kun! You're awake!" Light tried to remember why his head was up Misa's skirt, but couldn't.

"Misa? What the hell?" He lifted his head and looked around. L wasn't there, his handcuffs were off, and they were in a car. He peered into the front seat. Seeing the driver, he spoke. "Dad, what's going on?"

"That's your dad? I called your_ father _a stalker?"

Light ignored Misa. "Are we being freed?"

"No."

"Then what are you doing?"

"I took it upon myself to escort you two to the execution chamber."

Light heard his heart pounding in his ears. "What are you talking about?"

Misa laughed uncomfortably. "You're kidding! You're kidding, right? Right?!"

"No. L has determined that you are Kira and the second Kira. If we kill you, the murders will stop." _What? But the killings stopped and haven't restarted! They did! How could he do this to me? Does he want me out of his hair that badly? He could've just asked. What is this?_

"Didn't they stop already?"

"Probably L trying to make you confess. His plan of eliminating you two to stop the murders has been approved. Your executions will be kept quiet." Eliminated?

"That's crazy! I'm not Kira," Light said, barely paying attention to the conversation. Why wasn't Rem doing something about this? Wasn't she supposed to kill anyone who threatened Misa? He focused on staying conscious, wondering how this had gone so wrong.

"This isn't my decision, Light. It's L's." _What's going on? This isn't like him at all! He always has definite proof, so why would he let me be the first exception?_ He voiced his thoughts, but then got lost in his mind. His father turned around and the intensity of his tone jolted Light back to the conversation.

"I'm going to kill you and myself here." Light's eyes widened in shock.

"That's insane! What are you thinking?" He couldn't think. He couldn't do anything. This was not what was supposed to happen. He let out several useless protests but silenced himself when Soichiro pulled out a gun. Holy shit, he's seriously going to do this!

"Amane, I have no reason to kill you. Stay here and you will be executed justly."_ Damn it, why did I make her give up the note? She could save me now, if she had it. _Soichiro pressed the gun against Light's head. Misa screamed. "Light, both of us are murderers. We'll meet in hell."

Misa screamed again as Soichiro pulled the trigger. "Stop!" The gun clicked, but no bullet came.

"A blank?"

Light's father relaxed in the seat. "Thank God." _What? Was this some kind of scheme?_ "I'm sorry. This was the only way you two could be freed." He looked at his door and spoke. "Were you watching, Ryuuzaki? I did what you said, and I'm still alive."

L's familiar monotone washed through the car. "I'll end both of their detentions. We'll keep Amane Misa under surveillance and I'll continue staying with Light 24/7. Soichiro, excellent performance."

Light's heart had yet to slow down. "So this was all some kind of elaborate plot? What the hell?"

L spoke again. "It was the only way we could confirm that neither of you was Kira. If Amane had been the second Kira, the one who can kill with only a face, I don't doubt that she would've killed you before you had the opportunity to shoot Light." He Amane and Light-kun, the killings _did_ stop, if you must know. But they restarted yesterday, so we thought confirming your innocence was critical."

"I did it because I firmly believed that you weren't Kira, Light. Know that," Soichiro muttered.

"And Light-kun? I'll allow you full participation in the case now, internet access and everything. We'll simply stay handcuffed, just in case."

Light finally relaxed and he steeled his resolve, then spoke. "I understand, Ryuuzaki. Let's capture Kira. Together."

____________

L grinned as he heard Soichiro start the car. Now he could have Light with no guilt attached. He bit his thumbnail and watched the feed from the car, simply absorbing Light's expressions, the way he moved his lips when he spoke. Matsuda glanced at him quizzically.

"Why so happy, Ryuuzaki? This means we have no leads." L grimaced as he realized that the man was right.

"Yes, but Light can now be a full asset to our team, and this means that I haven't befriended a murderer. So I think I can be happy about that."

"Oh, okay. That makes sense. You and Light seem like a good team." L's smile widened.

"He's on my level." _In more ways than one. _"I'm glad he's involved in this case."

Matsuda sighed happily. "Me too. I like Light a lot. He's fun to work with." A surge of jealousy overwhelmed L, but he calmed himself. _Obviously, he didn't mean that like _that_. _Before he could fully calm down, the door creaked open.

"We're back," Soichiro called, happier than usual. It made sense, though. He was still alive, wasn't he?

Light followed after him, looking as flawless as usual, just slightly ruffled. Upon seeing L's face, he cracked a smile. "Hey there, _partner_." L laughed and walked over to his lover, refastening the handcuffs around their wrists. Never taking his eyes off of Light, he spoke.

"You can all go home. We've gotten enough work done for the day. Good job. See you tomorrow." Matsuda tried to protest, but L cut him off. "No. I've been overworking you. Go home, see your families. Only Light-kun shall stay, seeing as he needs to be caught up on the things we weren't telling him." The look he directed at each man silenced them. They assembled their things. L couldn't remember five minutes ever taking so long. As soon as Mogi had dragged himself out of the room, L pulled Light to his chest. "Light-chan, I'm sorry. I hope you understand." Light lifted his head and pressed their mouths together gently.

"You did what you had to do. Besides, now you don't think I'm Kira. Won't this make everything more convenient?" That was Light, trying to make the most of every situation. L kissed him again.

"I missed this."

"Me too."

"Hmm. It seems we have some catching up to do."

Instead of responding, Light linked L's arm in his own and tugged him up to their room.

____________

L inched his chair closer to Light's as the two continued working. Light glanced at the detective and smiled, then looked back at his screen. His grin faded as he studied the information, lost in thought. If he worked too hard, the death note would be discovered, but if he didn't, it would seem suspicious. He couldn't just ignore the situation. _Why do _I _always end up in these kinds of situations? I guess I have to find some balance. Maybe track down this Kira and kill him before the note is revealed?_ Light sighed.

"Something wrong, Light-kun?" L asked.

"Just…tired." L would have to accept that – he _was_ the reason for it, after all.

"Hmm. You don't look quite right. Finding anything interesting?" _Shit,_ Light thought, _he knows. If I act even remotely suspicious, he might...fuck. What is it with me and these lose-lose situations? What if I thought of some other reason for my counter-productivity? Would he buy that?_

"It's nothing. Just a little stressed catching up on the case and all." He directed a meaningful glance at L, who raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Oh, alright." His tone made it clear that they would be discussing this later. Light ran through possible excuses in his head as he turned back to the computer, his shoulder brushing L's chest slightly. The detective tensed at the touch, but relaxed after a moment. They sat in silence only perturbed by the sounds of typing and the occasional yawn, fingers touching every so often.

____________

L watched Light's face out of the corner of his eye, looking away every time the brunet glanced up. The two attempted to work while ignoring the tension in the air, passing it off as amicable and productive silence. _His name has been cleared. So why the hell do I still think he's Kira? It's illogical, but my instinct is rarely wrong._ His thoughts followed the same pattern, only interrupted for cake and a few (very active) bathroom breaks. He stared at the clock in the corner of his screen, the minutes slowly ticking past.

"You all can go now," he spoke, sounding more urgent than he had intended. The task force quickly packed up, rushing to be away from whatever was distracting L and Light. As Mogi slipped out the door, the last to leave, the detective stood, speaking.

"So, what is it? Seriously, this time."

Light sat on their desk. "Like I said, the case is getting me stressed." Light made it clear that he was lying, already planning what he would say.

"Light-chan, I know you well enough to know that's a lie. You can tell me. If you don't, I'll simply assume it's because you're Kira and I'll end your participation in the investigation. Just tell me."

"It's just...fuck. I'm just feeling really awful about this whole situation, and my dad not knowing, but I don't want him to find out. And I don't want this interfering with the case, but choosing between you and the case would be impossible. I'm starting to -"

L cut him off. "Light-chan, relax. I understand. We'll tell him someday. For now, it's not really too distracting, and we're both geniuses. We can figure it out." At that, he sat on Light's lap. He pressed his lips to the younger man's forehead. The brunet rested his hand on the detective's face, pulling their mouths together. L wrapped his arms around Light's neck and pushed him onto his back. He straddled Light, who reached one hand to unfasten the insomniac's jeans, managing to get them off quickly. L pulled his t-shirt off before beginning to unbutton Light's. The younger man pulled his mouth away, grinning.

"Mind if I try something?" L nodded, watching the near-perfect boy disentangle himself and slide off the table. The older man swung his legs around so that his feet were dangling off the edge of the table. "Okay, stay there." Light's smile broadened as he lowered himself into a kneeling position and grabbed L's knees, spreading his legs apart. He leaned in toward the detective's groin, resting a hand at the base of his shaft. He ran his fingers along its length before taking it in his mouth. L moaned softly, increasingly hard, as Light's tongue began sliding along his member.

"Hey, guys! Soichiro left his briefcase here so we came back!" Light pulled his head back as Matsuda opened the door. The change in his expression from its usual eagerness to complete mortification would have made Light laugh in any other situation. Instead, all he could do was stare, at a loss. "Oh. Well_, shit._ Light-kun, your dad - "

Soichiro pushed the door open further. "What the _hell_ is going on here?"

* * *

**OHNOES.**

**Again, sorry that took so long. Next one should be a lot quicker. I promise.  
The reason I made the car scene far less epic than it should be is that you've already read it. So I'm not just going to go plagiarize a page, you know?  
Review. Please. It counteracts my writer's block.  
Did you enjoy my angry lemon yes?  
Don't worry, though. xsnocappedlovex is going to strap me down and force me to write. THANK YOU, SUPERAWESOMEBETA.  
Goodbye.**


	8. Father

**Hi, again, guys.  
Yes, I'm aware this took a month. Don't remind me.  
I've had a lot going on, not to mention some terrible writer's block, but I managed to force this one out. Not my best, but some PLOT. Kind of.  
Please leave a review!  
(I own nothing.)**

__________________

"Dad, this isn't what it looks like." Light stood up and fumbled with his fly, grateful _his _pants, at least, were mostly still on.

Soichiro just stared, white faced and slack-jawed, as L leapt off the table and pulled his own jeans back on.

"Dad, you okay?"

Something seemed to snap inside of Soichiro. He looked the two shirtless men up and down, then began turning noticeably purple. "Then, please. What is…this?"

L rested a hand on Light's shoulder and cut in. "Well, Yaga –"

"Not from _you,_ Ryuuzaki. I want this from my son."

"Well, I – we, uh…." L squeezed his shoulder in support. "Um, okay, maybe it's a little bit what it looks like."

Soichiro clenched his teeth and breathed in and out, clearly trying to find something appropriate to say. After a minute of silence, he turned around. "Matsuda, I think you should go now." Matsuda turned and fled. "So, please. Explain."

Once again, L moved to speak and Soichiro cut him off with a glare.

"Dad, could you let him talk? I think he can explain this better than I'm able to."

Soichiro closed his eyes resignedly and nodded once.

"Yagami-san, I don't know what I should say here. I should hope your intelligence will make it clear to you what was occurring before you interrupted, and I'm not aware of what kind of information you are requesting."

"How long has this been going on?" he demanded.

"It has been seven days." Light was shocked to realize that L was right, that it had only been a week. So much had happened in those days, so it seemed much longer.

"That long?"

"Yes."

"Light, what does this mean? Are you – you know."

Light squirmed a bit under his father's probing stare. "Uh, I suppose so. I mean, I don't know. Well, I've never really felt like this about anyone, so I can't really say. Right now, I'd have to say yes." L smirked a bit. Watching Light twitch couldn't really get old.

"Oh. Ryuuzaki?"

L hadn't expected the next question to be directed his way. "Hmm?"

"Are you also, um, 'batting for the other team'?" In any other situation, Light would've laughed at his father's use of that term and its surrounding air-quotes, but here he remained silent.

"Yes." Simple, straightforward, exactly what was expected.

"And how do you feel about my son?" Light stared at his father, horrified.

"Dad, what are you –"

"I love him." Light grabbed his hand and squeezed, mouthing a silent _thank you. _L nodded once, a small smile on his face.

Soichiro remained silent.

"Dad?"

"I'm sorry; I just don't know how I feel about this yet. Just please, tell me you're being safe." The two boys exchanged a worried glance. The thought hadn't actually crossed either of their minds. "You _aren't, _are you? Well, don't come crying to me when you get herpes, Light!"

"Yagami-san, I don't have herpes."

Soichiro huffed, turned on his heel, and left, slamming the door behind him.

__________________

"Well, there goes your conflict, Light-chan." L sat in the desk chair and Light perched on the armrest. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "You can relax a bit now."

"Not really. I can relax when this whole mess is over."

L bit his thumb. "When you say 'this whole mess,' are you referring to _us _or to your father?"

"My father, of course. I don't want _this_ to end."

"I don't either."

They sat in silence for a moment. Sensing Light's discomfort, the detective spoke.

"Are you okay?"

"Not exactly, but I will be."

L pulled the brunet onto his lap, wrapping his arms around him. He pressed his lips to the tanned forehead as a tear fell down Light's face. He reached a hand up as if he was going to wipe it away, but instead just dropped it.

"Damn, I've been crying a lot lately."

"Mmm, I've noticed. Maybe it's a side effect of the herpes."

Light laughed bitterly, an isolated "ha" escaping his lips. Halfway through, it exploded into a fresh outburst of tears. "I just really can't fucking deal with this right now." The insomniac held him tighter, murmuring indistinguishable words of comfort into his hair. After several minutes of this, Light fell silent, his breathing even. L picked him up and carried him to their room.

__________________

"Light-chan, wake up." L shook Light again, but to no avail. "_Light!_"

"Mmn. Shut up." Eyes still shut, Light swatted at L's hand. "Lemme sleep."

The detective bent down and pushed his lips against the younger man's mouth. Light's eyes flew open and he pushed L off. "Ryuu, what the _hell?_"

"Just waking you up. Your phone's ringing."

"Ungh. Where is it?" Light propped himself up on one elbow and reached for the vibrating phone next to the bed. He flipped it open.

"Hello?" L couldn't hear the reply. "Hi, Mom. What's up?" He paused. "Yes, I'm fine. Oh, he _did, _did he?" L raised an eyebrow questioningly and Light held up a finger. "Tonight? Uh, yeah, I think I can be there. Seven okay? Mmhmm... Can I bring a friend? Just someone. Thanks. Okay, yeah. I have to go now, work's calling…mmhmm. Yeah. Love you too. Bye." He closed the phone.

Light's voice was bitter when he turned to speak to L. "Apparently my father has told my mother I have something extremely important to tell her. Something important_ about my future._ And there's an unscheduled family dinner tonight. What are the chances." It wasn't a question.

"Ninety-eight percent, after last night. Sounds like Soichiro wants to get others involved." He paused. "What's this about bringing a friend?" Light looked at him pleadingly. "Oh, no."

"Ryuu, do you honestly expect me to tell my parents about this without you even _there?_"

"I think that might actually be better for everyone involved's peace of mind. We both know I'm not exactly the type to make parents feel good about their children turning out gay, and I think it would be better if you didn't come out and introduce your boyfriend at the same time. Besides, I'd rather avoid spending time with your father after last night."

"You two work together, and you're going to need to sort this out. He needs to accept whatever this is we have."

"Then I stand corrected. I'd rather spend _as little time as possible_ with your father, after last night."

"But this is your fault!"

"Oh, is it?" he asked innocently. Sensing that that direction wouldn't help his case, Light changed tactics.

"Ryuu-chan, _please_?" He threw his arms around the insomniac, pleading. "For me? I really can't do this alone, and you're going to have to meet them anyway, if we're going to have a relationship. Even if they don't like you, they need to be given time to accept you. And I already _told_ her I was bringing a guest."

"If you insist. Now, can you stop emulating Misa and give me my arm back?"

"Oh, sorry." Light squeezed him once and let go. "Thanks, Ryuu!" L wondered if he was possibly bipolar.

"There had better be some damn good sex after this," he muttered.

__________________

"And you have to eat like a normal person," Light reminded L. The two were in the car, chain gone temporarily, headed toward the Yagami home, and Light had been lecturing him on how to behave in front of his parents.

L nodded and tugged at the sleeve of the (rather uncomfortable) grey sweater that the teen had forced him to wear, insisting it "brought out his eyes."

"And don't you _dare_ talk about the case."

"Shouldn't _I_ be the one telling _you _that? I'm flattered that you think that highly of my intelligence, really. I promise, Light-chan. I'm not going to screw this up."

"Sorry. I don't want this to go badly." They sat in silence for a moment. "And if you –"

"Light-chan, _relax._ We're here, anyway."

"Right, sorry." He parked the car and L got out, walking around to get the teen's door. "I'm just really fucking worried."

"Don't be. I mean, they can't have too much of an issue with it. And if they do, we can always elope." Although it hadn't been intended as a joke, Light laughed and got out of the car. L squeezed his hand and kissed him softly. They pulled apart and walked up to the door, both too nervous to talk. L rang the doorbell and dropped Light's hand, then rested his thumb in his mouth until Light slapped it away.

"None of _that_ either, Ryuu."

The door opened, denying L his opportunity to argue. A smiling woman opened the door. She enveloped Light in a hug.

"Light! How are you?" Before he could answer, she saw L. "But who's this?"

"This is my friend Ryuuzaki. I told you I'd be bringing him."

"Hello, Ryuuzaki. I'm Sachiko. Nice to meet you." She then looked at Light in confusion. "But I only set up for five. You told me you were only bringing one guest."

"Yes, just Ryuuzaki. What are you talking about?"

"Misa, of course. She said she was here for you."

"What? No, she and I are no longer seeing one another."

"That's not what she said. So, I'm guessing this means you two aren't getting married. Too bad, you were just the sweetest couple." Light looked at her in poorly disguised horror. L, of course, had figured out what was going on well before Sachiko had said it. "Here, come inside. We can sort it out once you're out of the cold."

They followed her into the house and to the dining room, where Soichiro, Sayu, and Misa were seated. Upon seeing Light, the blonde jumped to her feet. She ran over to him and squeezed him tightly as L looked on, amused.

Amused, that is, until Misa kissed _his_ boyfriend, on the lips.

He pushed her off and wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve. "Misa, what the hell?"

She clung to his arm as he tried to squirm away. "What, is Misa-Misa not allowed to kiss her Light-kun in front of his parents?" The blonde pouted.

"Misa, I'm not _yours._ We broke up, remember?"

"What? No, no, no. We didn't." The Yagamis averted their eyes as Misa's voice rose an octave.

"_Yes,_ we did." Light sighed in frustration.

"Why would you do that?"

"Misa, can we please not have this conversation now? We're being rude. Let's leave it at we're over, okay?"

"But _Light_-kun –"

"Misa, please."

"Expect a talk about this later, Light-kun!"

Misa pouted again but sat back down. Light could have sworn he heard Sayu mutter something about the wedding being off, but he ignored it and offered the only empty seat to L, but the man declined, instead opting to stand next to Light's chair, only now becoming aware of Soichiro, who was glaring at him unabashedly. He stared back, trying to keep his face blank. The chief's eyes narrowed, and L smirked, an eyebrow raised. Sachiko, feeling the tension, interrupted.

"Ryuuzaki, would you like a chair?"

He glanced at her and responded in an overly polite, clipped tone. "Yes, please, Yagami-san, if you don't mind." She floated off to get a chair.

"Ryuuzaki, this is my sister, Sayu." Light gestured. "Sayu, this is my" – he searched for the word, but ended up keeping it simple – "friend, Ryuuzaki."

"Hello," Sayu said softly, well aware of the uncomfortable situation. L nodded in acknowledgement, then returned to his staring contest with Soichiro until Sachiko returned with a stool, setting it between Light and Misa's places at the table.

"Sorry, Ryuuzaki, but it's all we have. We weren't expecting another guest and our other chair just broke. I feel terrible that our hospitality is being compromised. I don't think I even made enough food!"

"It's absolutely fine, Yagami-san. I'm not particularly hungry anyway." It wasn't strictly true, but he would simply ask Watari for cake when they returned to headquarters. Other food never really appealed to him anyway.

"Thank you. I'll be back, dinner is almost ready." She flounced out of the room.

L sat, and the five of them (four, really, as L said little) made awkward conversation, all able to feel that something weightier needed to be said. Light wondered how he would manage to tell his family with Misa there. L noticed his discomfort and squeezed his leg reassuringly. The teen smiled in gratitude.

Sachiko reentered and placed sushi out on the table in front of each of them, except for L, who politely declined, and then she sat. They began eating, continuing their meaningless conversation, something about the film Misa was working on.

"So, Ryuuzaki, what do you do?" Sachiko asked, trying to include him.

"How do you mean?"

"For a living. What's your job?"

"I'm a student at To-Oh, with Light-kun."

"Oh, alright. So that's how you two met?"

"Yes." His short, simple answers discouraged her from asking more, and the table fell silent once again.

Sayu finally broke the silence. "So, Light, what's this big news you supposedly had for us?"

Light choked on a piece of his dinner, then tried to swallow with more grace. "Uh, I don't really have any."

"Really?" Sayu raised an eyebrow. "Or do you just not want to tell us?"

"There's no _news,_ really."

Soichiro stared at him pointedly. "But you still have something to tell us, don't you? I can always share my theories." Aware of the obvious threat, Light opened his mouth, but a suddenly interested Misa beat him to it.

"Yeah, tell us, Light-kun! Misa-Misa wants to know what's so important!"

L rested his hand on Light's thigh gently, sensing that he could have done without the reminder of Misa's presence. "Tell them, Light-kun."

"Uh. Yeah. Well," He couldn't remember what he had been planning on saying, so he fumbled through with no specific structure, his tongue feeling clumsy and awkward. "Um, well, Ryuuzaki is, that is to say, I'm, uh –" He inhaled deeply, then slowly let it out. "I don't really know how to say it, but I will anyway. I'm gay."

"Oh," Sachiko murmured as Misa moaned softly, Soichiro turning slightly green. Sayu, on the other hand, seemed entirely unsurprised, and L wondered just how intelligent she was.

"So who's the lucky guy?" she asked, seemingly oblivious to Misa, who appeared to be on the edge of a tantrum. Instead, she looked straight at L. _Seventy-eight percent chance she's got it figured out already._

Light shot a pleading glance at L, so the insomniac answered for him. "I'm glad to say that's me." He waved a hand, almost smiling.

Misa's eyes overflowed. "Light-kun, how could you do this to me? You chose _him_ over _me_?" She stood. "I hate you, Ryuuzaki, for stealing my Light! I'm going to _kill_ you!" She dissolved into choked sobs at the end and ran out of the room.

"So," Sachiko said, grimacing slightly. "Who knows?"

"You five."

"And Matsuda," L added.

"How," Sayu began, "does _Matsuda_ know?"

All three men turned varying shades of red and she dropped the subject. Sachiko looked at her husband bitterly. "How did you find out, dear?"

"We told him last night," L lied easily. Sayu raised an eyebrow but didn't push it.

"How long has this been going on?" Light's mother asked.

"When you say 'this,' do you mean –" Light began.

"How long have you _known_?"

"I've been questioning this for a long time, truthfully. I wasn't certain until recently, though, when I met Ryuuzaki. We've been together for eight days now."

"Are you _sure_, though? You seem to be taking this rather quickly."

"I don't think I'll ever love anyone as I love him, Mom. So yes, I suppose I'm sure." L squeezed his hand gently.

Soichiro muttered something about "those damn gays," and the detective glared at him. "I'm sorry, chief, did you say something?"

"No, absolutely nothing."

"I thought so. That's good, but I am going to tell you this anyway. As long as he will consent, Light and I are going to be together. And if you happened to have an issue with it, it would mean little to us, as we are, I believe, very much in love. So if there is any problem, I would suggest learning to cope with it, as it will do no good for any of us to deal with an unjust prejudice that you cannot deal with yourself."

"Ryuu, calm down," Light urged. "He gets the point."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Then I believe there is nothing more to be said on this topic."

"Would anyone like dessert?" Sachiko offered. "I made cake."

"Yes please, Yagami-san." Soichiro and Sayu nodded, and Light declined.

"Sayu, come help clear the table." The girl obliged, and both females departed into the kitchen.

Soichiro spoke. "I'm aware that this topic is supposedly closed, but I have something to say."

"Alert the press," Light muttered.

"I want to say that, although I'm far from happy with this situation, and I don't know how I feel about you being, y'know, _gay,_ but I'm not going to let this interfere with the case, nor will I try to dissuade you from having a relationship. But I expect you to do the same."

"Of course, Yagami-san. Thank you."

He nodded gruffly, and the three sat in silence until Sayu and Sachiko reentered, a cake in Sayu's hands. L's eyes lit up and he stared almost lustfully at the dessert. When a slice was placed in front of him, he smiled a bit and devoured it, finishing in a ridiculously short time period. "That was delicious, thank you."

"Yes, and the sushi was great, Mom," Light added, "but we really have to go now."

"Oh, of course. It was my pleasure. Come home again soon, we don't see you enough. It was nice meeting you, Ryuuzaki."

"And you as well. Thank you for the meal."

"'Bye, Ryuuzaki! Come back soon!" Sayu called as the two walked towards the door, hands entwined.

Misa came barreling out of the other room, hearing their departure. She hugged Light once again, her eyes red, and she leaned in towards L.

"Just for the record, Ryuuzaki, I _will_ kill you. Have a pleasant night!"

__________________

**Next up, Misa tries to kill L! And various other crackish things.  
Two things first. Firstly, go back to chapter three. I rewrote the lemon because it was terribly fail. Now it's longer and rather sexy, if I do say so myself. For each new chapter I write, expect something else to be rewritten.  
Second, review this, then review that, and please. Tell me what you think! Reviews are excellent motivators!  
love bandanability**

**Eh. Fuck. I hate to tell you, but I'm going to have to put this on hold for a few weeks. My parents have started to investigate my online activities recently, and they found some evidence of supposedly inappropriate content saved to my laptop, and I'd like to minimize the risk of them discovering this, since the consequences would be less than appealing. (Thus my username change.) I won't be around Just bear with me for a little while, I should be back someday. I also have a bunch of school stuff on top of that, so I'm so terribly sorry, everyone. :c  
For your entertainment: Did you know that the word "fuck" is an ancient verb meaning "to plow a field"? And the Dutch for "plow man" is "fokker," pronounced "fucker." **


	9. Foolishness

**You all are probably like FUCKWHAT? if you got my message and now are seeing this. Yes, I'm on hiatus. And yes, I'm posting this.  
Thanks to Illusory Impurity, my new beta. She's super, go read her stuff.**

**________**

"Well, that went well," L commented monotonously. "They seem to be coping quite nicely."

"Hah, _sure,_" Light snorted, one hand on the wheel, the other resting in one of L's._ "_You're just saying that so I don't worry."

"Of course. But really, they seem fine."

"Fine? That works for Sayu, who probably thinks it's hot. Mom's in shock, so she's projecting outward with hospitality, and we both know Dad can't stand us 'damn gays,' so he's on the verge of going into denial. Not to mention Misa –"

"Misa's part of your family now?" L interjected, pulling his hand away.

"You said _they_, not my family. As I was saying before you so rudely interrupted, Misa's ready to kill you. And I don't doubt that she'll try."

"I don't think we have any need to worry about that."

"Don't put anything past her."

"Relax, Light-chan. Can't we just be happy we're being honest instead of getting hung up on the little details?"

"Coming from someone who hides his identity from most of the world."

"That's a different kind of honesty."

"How so?"

"Light-chan, you seem tense."

"No, _really?_"

"Clearly, this conversation is going nowhere."

"Clearly."

"So can we end it here?"

"Whatever you want, Ryuu."

Light drove in silence, hands tight around the wheel, staring straight ahead, as L watched cars pass by out the window. After several minutes, Light spoke quietly.

"Sorry, Ryuu." He grabbed the detective's hand again.

"It's fine, I understand your stress."

"Mmm."

"I'm proud of you."

Light had no response, so he remained silent for the rest of the drive. They pulled up outside of headquarters and parked the car, heading inside. Watari nodded briefly as Light walked past, L following to their room

As soon as the door closed, L wrapped his arms around his lover's waist and buried his head in the teen's neck, fumbling with one of the buttons on his shirt. Light turned to face him and pressed his hands against the detective's chest, and then pushed him away.

"Not right now, I need a shower. After."

"I think it might be wiser to shower _after._"

"I know, but I need to just wash this whole night off of me."

L made a face, but thought of something. "Hmm, I suppose that can be arranged."

Ignorant of L's plans, Light grinned. "Thanks, Ryuu. See you in a few." He kissed the older man gently and slipped into the bathroom.

------------------

"Light-kun." Light groaned and turned to face the all-too-familiar voice.

"Ryuk," he acknowledged quietly, hoping the detective in the other room couldn't hear.

"You never gave me my apples, you know. I've been leaving you and loverboy there alone out of the goodness of my heart, or whatever I have in here." He patted his chest and feigned a yawn. "But I'm getting so terribly _bored. _I'm thinking of joining you again."

"Can we work something out until I get you your apples? I can't get them to you while I'm chained to L."

"Like…?"

"Like, say, you leave me alone when I'm with _him_, and then you can lurk around and watch and all the rest of the time. And things in the office should get interesting, now that I have a motivation to get rid of those damn handcuffs. And then you'll get your apples."

"Light-kun, if it was anyone else, I wouldn't do this, but it's a deal."

"Thank you."

The shinigami drifted out, chuckling at some private joke.

------------------

Light grabbed the bar of soap and began washing his arms, humming softly. He was glad the whole night was over, ready to start tomorrow fresh. He rinsed his skin and heard the door open. He turned to see L's silhouette through the shower curtain.

"Hey, Ryuu."

"Light-chan. I've decided I rather need a shower as well. Do you mind if I join you?" He didn't sound like he had any ulterior motive, so Light let him.

"Why not?" He watched L get undressed and turned away as the detective slid aside the curtain and stepped in behind him. He felt hands in his hair.

"What are you doing?"

"Washing your hair, Light-chan."

"Mmm." Light leaned back towards the touch, letting the detective massage his scalp softly.

"Rinse," the detective commanded. Light complied.

"Want me to do you?" he asked. Realizing how it had come out, he revised his question. "Want me to do your _hair,_" he laughed.

"I prefer the first one." Light arms snake around his waist and turned. L pulled his head closer, kissing him gently. Light let him, his lips parting enough for the detective to slip his tongue in. He pulled back when he felt the insomniac's hand on his pubic bone.

"What're you doing?" L murmured huskily, eyes only half opened. "Aren't we –"

Light groaned. "Ryuu, no fucking way. I'm not screwing you in the shower."

"Wouldn't _I_ be screwing _you_, technically?" He leaned in again, but Light held up a hand.

"You know what I mean. We're not doing this."

"Come, now, you've let me on a chair, on the floor, _and_ against a wall."

"Those were at least _dry. _Besides, I don't think the wall was consensual."

"You didn't object." He rested a hand on the teen's hip, stroking gently. The brunet slapped it away.

"Not objecting isn't necessarily construed as acceptance."

"It is when phrases such as 'Ngh, harder!' and 'You couldn't do this to yourself' are thrown into the mix."

"Okay, so maybe that was okay with me. But showers? No. Clear enough?"

"Aw, come on. You want this as much as I do." He reached for Light's hand, but the younger man put it on his hip, bearing a strange resemblance to his mother.

"You're starting to sound like a rapist."

"Dammit, Light, if you don't let me do this, I'll _become_ a rapist." He grabbed Light by the waist and held their wet bodies together.

Light's breathing became heavier as L began to grind their hips together. "There's a perfectly good bed in the other room, where I'm perfectly willing to keep this legal. Just wait a minute."

"What if I don't _want_ to wait?" He didn't give Light a chance to reply, instead attacking the teen's mouth. Light groaned in protest but didn't pull away. The detective deepened the kiss, driving his tongue past the younger man's lips. Light left his mouth limp, not returning any of the man's fervor. Realizing it was pointless, L moved his mouth to the brunet's neck, where he bit down, nibbling at the wet flesh.

Light sighed dramatically as he felt a hand brush the edge of his hip, long fingers reaching for his member. He relaxed slightly as the detective's hand ran along the length of his shaft, caressing it softly and blocking it from the water's flow. His stomach muscles clenched – he wasn't supposed to enjoy this, dammit!

But he _was_ enjoying it, so he allowed the older man to continue. L slipped his other hand between the teen's legs and began massaging his perineum gently.

"_Shit,_" he moaned. "Where the _fuck_ did you learn to do that?" The detective's hands paused.

"There's this wonderful thing called masturbation, Light-chan. I assume you've heard of it."

Light scowled, irritated. "There're these wonderful things called rhetorical questions, Ryuu. I assume you've –" L attacked his lips, cutting him off, then resumed his strokes. He wrapped a hand around the teen's hardening member, pumping repeatedly.

After several moments of the incessant pressure, Light gave in to the older man, kissing him back with equal passion and pushing his hips towards the hand. L smiled a bit against the brunet's lips and increased his hand's tempo. He moved his mouth down to the teen's neck, where he bit down. Light tilted his head back to give him easier access, and the insomniac took full advantage, running his tongue along the expanse of wet flesh before trailing down to the younger man's chest, sucking gently on one nipple. He paused for a moment, tracing circles around the nub with his tongue, then continued his descent, getting on his knees.

He took Light's erection in his mouth as the teen shuddered. He moved both hands to the base of the shaft and squeezed in tandem with his tongue's strokes. Light's hands fisted in his wet hair, pulling him to his feet and pressing their lips together.

L slipped his tongue past the teen's lips, savoring the moment and drawing it out as long as possible, wrapping his arms around the younger man's neck, Light's hands resting on the detective's hips.

After several minutes of this, Light's grip tightened and he pulled his mouth back, turning the older man around to face the flow of water, nearly shaking with excitement at the role-reversal he expected. L cut his fantasies short and turned to face him, wiping water off his face.

"Light." He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Nothing, Ryuu," Light muttered, disappointed.

"That's what I thought." L pulled their bodies together again, kissing the younger man passionately once before turning _him_ around and pushing him against the back of the shower, wrapping his arms around the brunet's waist and positioning himself. He slowly pushed his wet member into the teen, groaning at the way Light tightened around him.

Once he was fully sheathed, he paused for a moment before pulling out and re-entering slowly. He began to establish a rhythm in his thrusts and slid a hand down to rub the teen's erection while he rammed into him, again and again.

Light moaned. "Fuck, Ryuu, I'm going to –"

"Ngh, me too." With a final shove, the two both came, the water managing to wash off some of the sweat and cum coating their bodies. Light turned and pressed L against the wall, kissing him softly on the lips for a moment before the door burst open.

Something crashed into the curtain, and fell against the tiles uselessly. A hairdryer.

"What the fuck?" L stared at the dryer blankly. "Misa?"

"Why isn't it killing you, Ryuuzaki? Misa-Misa read about it, hairdryers electrocute people in water! You should be dead!"

"Misa," L muttered, trying not to laugh. "Really, the hairdryer has to be plugged in for that to work."

Light laughed loudly.

"Light-kun, are you in there? What are you doing in there? Misa pulled the curtain aside. Her jaw dropped as she took in the sight of their naked bodies entangled, some cum still lingering on their limbs, then noticed their erections. She opened her mouth, then closed it, before finally speaking. "Uh…um…I – _what_ are you doing_?_"

"Light and I have just participated in an act of homosexual intercourse, Amane-san. I should hope this was obvious." Misa stared at him.

"Ryuu, I think that was a rhetorical question."

------------------

Light, L, Misa, and Watari sat in the kitchen, drinking tea in an awkward silence.

"So, Misa." Light coughed. "How exactly did you end up in our bathroom?"

Watari answered for her. "I believe that would be my fault. Amane-san came in here demanding to see Ryuuzaki, and I told her he was showering but that she could see him after. I did not realize she knew the location of your room. I suppose she let herself in. As for the dryer, I believe that is the one from your bedroom."

"Misa." L stared at the woman, who ignored him. "Misa?"

Light spoke. "Misa, Ryuu is talking to you."

"Hmph. Fine. Yes, _Ryuu_?"

"Firstly, only Light-chan is permitted to call me that. You may address me as Ryuuzaki. Secondly, Light and I are together in a physical sense, and that status is unlikely to change in the near future. If you have a problem with it, I suggest you get out of our home, because we will not tolerate your immature schemes again."

"_Ryuuzaki,_ Light-kun is confused. Really, we all know he –"

"Misa," Light cut in. "There are a lot of words you could use to describe me right now. 'Confused' is not one of them. A better option would be, say, 'pissed' or 'murderous.' But those are purely directed at you. If you would like how I feel about Ryuuzaki, the phrase 'in love' is far more applicable. Because I love him, and if you have a problem with that, it's your issue alone, because you and I have no semblance of a relationship. It shouldn't matter to you what I'm doing with my time." Misa screamed in frustration and moved to punch L in the face. He caught her fist and spoke.

"Watari?"

"Yes?"

"Could you please set up a restraining order against Miss Amane for us?"

Misa growled. "You can't keep me away from my Light-kun."

"Actually," Light commented, "I can, legally."

------------------

"Ryuu?" Light rolled over to face his lover. "You okay?"

"Mmm. Just a bit unhappy."

"Why? I mean, we finally dealt with Misa, so we should be happy."

"I guess. I just feel rather…unmotivated, I suppose. I'm actually a bit depressed."

"Why's that?"

"Well, the case is at a standstill, we have no leads, and my initial suspicion was likely wrong. It's quite upsetting."

"Ryuu, not everything has to go perfectly for you to be happy. I'm sure we'll get something on the case soon, and then it'll all start going smoothly again."

"I guess so."

"Sometimes you make me want to beat you dead, you realize."

"Maybe you should. I'm not getting anything done, after all."

"God," Light groaned. "You're awful. I promise to hunt down at least one plausible lead tomorrow if you can manage to act like you care."

"I doubt you can manage that."

"Wanna bet?"

"Not particularly. If not…?"

"I don't know, you think of something."

"I don't particularly feel like it."

"You're being immature."

"Well, you're being an idiot."

Light slapped him in the face gently. "Shut up and go to sleep, assface."

"Love you too, Light-kun."

------------------

"Ryuu, you're not acting like you care!" Light whispered into the detective's ear as he pretended to examine his screen.

"I beg to differ. They seem fooled." The detective gestured at the rest of the task force.

"No, _Matsuda_ seems fooled," Light hissed. "He doesn't count."

"Maybe if you get that _lead,_ I will care!"

"Oh, it's _on._"

"You guys?" Matsuda looked over. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, of course," the two said in unison.

"Alright then." He turned back to his screen. L walked back over to his chair across the room and crouched in it, watching Light focus. He continued working for several hours while the detective stared, barely interrupted.

"Ryuuzaki?" Light called. "C'mere a sec."

L slouched over to the teen and peered over his shoulder.

"Look at this chart. It's graphs of recent deaths in Japan, going back on your original theory of Kira being here. Isn't that unbalanced?"

"Light-kun," he breathed.

"What do you think? Has some motivation come out?"

**Ooh, drama 'n' shit. Review, darlings!**


	10. Finale

***cringe*  
Hi, internet, it's been a while...  
I'm very terribly sorry it took me so obscenely long to post this. I'm not going to make excuses because I'm guessing you don't really care.  
I know I said it would be twelve chapters, but I suck at sticking to my word (as you well know), and wanted to get this FINISHED so I can go write some other pr0nz.  
This has some good parts and some awful parts, and probably hasn't been proofread as obsessively as most chapters, but I wanted to get it posted.  
Without further ado, the final chapter!  
**

___________________________________________

The next few days passed quickly for both men, filled with realizations and discoveries and theories, but rather lacking in sleep or anything else that typically occurs in a bed. They found the leads pointing to Yotsuba, and L called in two more people to help with the case: Aiber and Wedy. Light tolerated them, despite their criminal ways, simply because they were useful. Another sleepless night and they had gotten into the security footage for the main Yotsuba building. It wasn't long before Light noticed the room with no footage on Friday nights, and they managed to install their own cameras there the next day. That Thursday, they all settled down to watch what occurred. The conversation they overheard was interesting for all, but none so much as Light, the only one who could see Rem hovering behind the one they had identified as Higuchi. They watched as the meeting continued, Light's mind racing, until it ended.

Matsuda grinned. "Damn, we're productive!" The last syllable was lost in a yawn, and only then did L realize how many days it had been since any of them had slept.

"Yes, we are. You all deserve a break. Go home, sleep. Come back in the morning and we'll figure out our course of action then."

Light didn't notice as they all left, didn't register anything as he followed L upstairs, nothing. He couldn't think of anything other than the simple fact that Higuchi was going to get caught, and then they'd both be screwed.

___________________________________________

Light smiled at the shirtless detective lying next to him. He rested a hand on the older man's chest. "Let's fuck." He leaned in towards L, but the insomniac spoke before their lips met.

"That was blunt, even for you."

"I'm in that kind of mood. Is it so wrong to want to screw my boyfriend?"

"I'm your boyfriend now?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Light grinned, climbing on top of him and leaning in again. L pushed him away.

"What's wrong, Light-chan?"

"Nothing. What's wrong with _you?_ Usually you'd be all over this."

"What's wrong with _me_ is that you're acting strangely."

Light made a face. "Am I?"

"Yes."

Instead of answering, Light kissed the detective quickly, not giving him a chance to stop the contact. The teen sucked on L's lower lip, coaxing his mouth open. The insomniac gave up and allowed the younger man's tongue into his mouth. After several moments, he twisted so that he was straddling the teen's hips and pulled back.

"You _will_ tell me what's wrong." The corner of Light's mouth twitched up into a small smile.

"Later."

L shrugged, not entirely satisfied. _I am going to find out, damn it._ He felt one of Light's hands stroking his thigh softly through his jeans. _But it can wait…_ He grasped the offending hand as the other wrapped around his neck, twisting in his black hair.

Light smiled before tugging off his own shirt and pressing their lips together once more, his thoughts finally on something other than the case. He willingly opened his mouth for the older man, letting him explore for a moment before he pulled back, breathing heavily. L moved his mouth to Light's neck, where he bit down, extracting a moan from the teen. He sucked and nipped as the younger man skillfully unbuttoned his pants with a single hand.

Once they were successfully removed, Light slipped his hand inside L's boxers, exploring freely but deliberately avoiding the man's hardening member. L slid a hand up the brunet's back, pulling their bodies closer together and grinding his hips against the teen's. Light pulled away, ripping his hand out from between them.

"Crush my goddamn hand, why don't you."

L ignored his glare. "Terribly sorry, Yagami-san. I suppose my uncontrollable lust took hold of me and I just had to fuck you." He smirked.

The teen leaned closer and spoke softly, ghosting his lips around the detective's ear. "I didn't realize you were that eager."

"Of course I am." The insomniac smiled softly, his eyes barely open, before kissing Light passionately. "I always am, when it comes to you." He bit down on the brunet's neck again as the younger man moaned. Long, pale fingers expertly popped open the button at the top of the teen's pants, pulling them off before rubbing a hand against Light's erection through his boxers. Light pushed his hips toward the touch, breathing heavily. The detective reached for his lover's waistband, tugging boxers off of Light's slim frame before kissing him again. He rested a hand on the teen's boner, stroking it gently while the brunet groaned against his lips.

Light twisted his hands in the older man's hair, his iron grip keeping their lips in constant contact while the detective wrapped his hand around the younger man's member, massaging it. The teen ran a hand down the older man's back, scratching it softly before sliding his hand further down to tug the man's boxers lower. Once they were around his knees, L pulled his body away from Light momentarily to kick them off, then quickly returned to his former position, continuing to stroke the brunet softly. Light separated their lips.

"Would you please," he murmured, "get in me already?"

"You only had to ask." L sat up and reached for the lube on the nightstand, smirking. He rubbed it on himself, slowly running his hand along his shaft, deliberately taking his time before hitching the younger man's legs around his waist. He aimed and slowly pushed himself inside of Light, carefully avoiding his prostate as they kissed. The teen groaned as L pulled out and slid back in at the same ridiculously slow pace. Light pulled his mouth back.

"Ryuu?" He kept his voice perfectly level.

"Mmm?"

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"Fucking you, as you asked. I should think that was obvious." He pulled out again.

"Ha. Now that you've had your little joke, would you mind, oh, say, _speeding up_?"

Instead of replying, L thrust in again, groaning softly as his speed increased. Light wrapped his hands around the insomniac's back and murmured his approval. L smiled and slid out, then back in, setting a far quicker pace, rocking in and out.

Light moaned, all thoughts of the new Kira's idiocy lost as he felt the detective inside of him. He pushed his hips up, throwing his head back as he lost himself in the sensation.

L took the opportunity to kiss the teen's neck softly while he continued to thrust in and out, watching the younger man whimper uncontrollably, his expression one of pure bliss. The detective felt the teen's hands grabbing his hair, struggling to pull him closer. L smiled and kissed him, not slowing the pace of his thrusts. He ran a hand between their damp bodies, feeling Light's racing heartbeat for a moment before the teen cried out his name and came.

Feeling the younger man tighten around him, L quickly did the same, his mind free of anything but the sensation of being inside Light. He pushed in and out several more times, only ceasing when he had lost nearly all energy. He collapsed beside the teen, shoulders heaving.

The corners of Light's mouth turned up in a small smile. "Ryuu, that was…" He murmured something incomprehensible and curled up next to the detective, who wrapped an arm around him and planted a kiss on the top of his head.

_I am _going_ to find out what's wrong with him._

___________________________________________

L rolled over and opened his eyes. It quickly registered that Light was not present. He glanced at the empty half of the bed and saw a slip of paper resting on the pillow. He stretched a hand out and grabbed it, reading it quickly without sitting up.

_Ryuu-_

_You were pretty soundly asleep, but I figured one of us should be present when the rest of the team showed up, so I went downstairs. Come down whenever, I'm going to tell them you've overexerted yourself and needed the sleep 3_

_Love, Light_

He tossed the note aside and got out of bed, hoping the team hadn't shown up yet.

___________________________________________

Light glanced up from his computer screen as L entered the room.

"Somebody slept late."

"Somebody neglected to wake me up."

"You looked terribly comfortable."

"Where is everyone?"

"Eating lunch."

"What time is it?"

"Twelve-thirty."

"You really should've woken me up."

"Everyone thought you deserved the sleep."

"Well, could you get any work done without me there?"

"Yeah, actually. We're going to arrange a meeting tomorrow with one of these guys, Namikama. We're all reasonably certain he's not Kira, judging by his reactions yesterday."

"Has this been arranged yet?"

"No, we planned on calling after lunch."

"You don't think it might strike them as odd, having seven of us show up to a meeting?"

"We're only sending two."

"Who?"

"You and me, who else?"

"I should have known."

"But you know what makes it even better?"

"What?"

"You have no business-appropriate clothing, for some strange reason, and you can't very well show up for a meeting wearing _that._"

"How does that make it better?"

"Well, I figured Watari's probably feeling pretty overworked too. We shouldn't make him do _everything_ for you."

"Meaning?"

"We're going shopping!"

___________________________________________

"I cannot believe you managed to talk me into this," L muttered as Light dragged him by the arm past various shops. "I've also never seen you acting so feminine."

"I am not acting feminine."

"Light, you're dragging your boyfriend by the arm to go try on clothing. That strikes me as rather feminine behavior."

"You're being sexist."

"I'm simply stating fact." Light stuck his tongue out at the older man and pulled him into a store.

"Okay, so this is where I'm thinking we should get you a shirt, they have nice enough stuff but the cuts on everything else really do nothing for anything." He shot an accusing glance at the girl who had been intending to offer help. "So what color do you want?"

"Light-kun, you're acting ridiculous."

"I'll go with white, then."

___________________________________________

"Okay, try _this _one." Light offered the detective yet another white button-down.

"What was wrong with the first eight?"

"A lot of things."

"Why didn't we let Watari do this?"

"Because I wanted to go shopping with you, and besides, I don't have anything passable either."

"And why couldn't I just wear that outfit Watari bought me a few weeks ago?"

"Because I ripped the button off of those pants…"

"This is the last shirt and we're getting out of this goddamn store."

"Fine." L took the shirt and pulled it on, buttoning it up as quickly as he could.

"Good enough?"

"Perfect." Light grinned. "Let's buy that and then we can go look for pants, okay?"

L groaned.

___________________________________________

"Light-kun, we've been out for nearly two hours. Why are we still out here? It's a single meeting, and most business people do not pay this much attention to what they wear."

"You're with me, and I _do_ pay this much attention to what we wear."

"I'm starting to understand why I top."

"Is it really so awful?"

"We could be doing something productive back at headquarters, but instead you drag me around to try on overpriced suits. I'm not interested in this kind of thing, really. So yes, it is 'so awful.'"

"This one might be the last, okay? Just put up with this for me?"

"If we aren't done in the next hour, we are abandoning this mission."

"Deal." Light tugged him into another store. "Head back to the changing rooms, I'm going to grab some things and I'll meet you back there in a couple minutes."

L nodded and made his way to the back of the store. He slipped into one of the two rooms and sat on the bench he found there. He was thinking about the case and the probability of each of the eight men being Kira when Light walked in.

Wearing a dress.

His mouth fell slightly open as the younger man spoke. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Light laughed, setting down the pile of clothes he had brought in, and sat next to the detective on the bench, resting his head on L's shoulder.

"I think the other one was a bit longer," L breathed in the teen's ear, resting a hand on Light's exposed thigh. "Though this has its own appeal."

Light turned and kissed him, wrapping his arms around L's neck. The insomniac smiled against his lover's lips as he pushed him against the wall of the changing room and slipped a hand under the dress. Light's mouth opened and L wasted no time slipping his tongue in as he began to tug off the brunet's boxers. While he fumbled with them, Light began unfastening the detective's pants.

_Sex in a changing room. Never thought about that before._

___________________________________________

The salesgirl turned the page of her book, trying to ignore the rather distracting noises coming from the left changing room. They had been going at it for far too long for it to still be funny. At this point, she was just pissed. She tried to focus on her book, but the words couldn't register with a soundtrack of bangs, moans, and '_Oh fuck yes'_s.

Her teeth clenched as one of them, the more vocal one, it seemed, announced that he was "about to – ngh." She slammed the book down on the counter and stormed over to the door, knocking as hard as she could. The noises inside stopped, except for a few mumbled comments of "That's your shirt" and "No, those are mine." After a moment, a tall brunet opened the door, hair disheveled and shirt only half buttoned.

"Yes?" She recognized his voice as the moaner.

"Next time you want to fuck in public, do it somewhere else." She glanced into the dressing room. "And it looks like one of you decided to take this opportunity to jizz on a two-hundred dollar dress. Will you be paying for that with credit or debit?" She pointed at the front of the dress. The brunet swore.

"Come out to pay whenever you're ready."

___________________________________________

Light collapsed on the bed, throwing several shopping bags on the floor. "Success!" He pulled his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. "Shit."

"What is it?"

"My mother wants me to come over for dinner. Apparently her parents are coming over and she forgot to tell me." He sighed.

"Do you have to go?"

"I really should."

"Would you like me there?"

"Yeah, except that I'd have to explain who you are, and I'd rather not shock my grandmother into having a heart attack. So you're not coming."

"When do you have to be there?"

Light checked the screen. "She says they're coming in late, so I should be there at eight-thirty or so. She wants me to stay over, too, since it'll probably be kind of late when we wrap it up."

"Will your father be going too?"

"I doubt it; he never really got along with them."

"Well, he already has the night off, so he'd be home, wouldn't he?"

"I guess you're right. This should be wonderfully awkward."

"Well, it's only four-thirty now, so shall we go do something productive?"

"Sounds good."

___________________________________________

Light gripped the wheel tightly and glanced behind him again to make sure he wasn't being followed before turning off onto a smaller street. He reached a hand into his pocket to get his phone. He swore under his breath, realizing that he had left it behind.

He quickly turned the car around and drove towards the payphone he had seen on the last street. He pulled up to it and got out of the car, looking around once again before dropping some coins into it. When he heard the dial tone, he glanced at the slip of paper in his hand and dialed the number he found there.

"Hello?" Wedy answered.

"It's me. Are the cameras out?"

"Of course. I'll be switching them back to normal in three hours, finish up before then."

"I will. Thanks again."

"Not a problem." Light hung up and returned to the car, a small smile on his face as he drove away.

Nearly an hour later, he pulled up in front of a large house and parked the car. He checked the address he had written down and confirmed that this was where Higuchi lived before getting out and walking towards the imposing building and punching in the lock code he had memorized. He heard the lock click open and walked inside.

He glanced around the spacious room he found himself in. _Freaking huge for one person._ Remembering the layout of the house, he walked into the living room and up the stairs, turning down the hallway.

He heard a toilet flush and tensed, slipping into the room to his left. Conveniently, it was the office. The lights were on, so he figured Higuchi was working. Quickly deciding on a plan of action, Light sat in the large chair behind the desk. The door opened and Higuchi walked in, followed by Rem. He turned to face the desk and jumped.

"Who the hell are you?"

Light smiled. "Kira. Hello, Rem." He nodded at the shinigami.

"You can…you're…what?"

Light pulled his death note out from under his shirt. "I'm Kira. The original."

"And you can see Rem." The man's voice shook.

"Yes."

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, your possession of the notebook is a result of me needing someone for a brief time to do my job for me. However, you've completely fucked that up."

"How so?" He backed towards the door.

"Well, you've very nearly gotten yourself caught. In fact, I'm nearly certain that tomorrow you would have found yourself with various law enforcement agencies at your door."

"How do you know this?"

"I have my ways."

The fear in Higuchi's voice became more obvious. "What are you going to do to me?"

"That's what I'm here about. I see a couple of simple solutions to our problem. I'm going to let you pick which one you want." Higuchi's eyes widened.

"I have money! Cars! Anything you want, you can have it just please don't kill me, I'm young and I'm doing so well and I swear I'll never tell anyone and – "

"Shut up." Higuchi obeyed. "Well, the first option I was going to offer was a nice, simple, painless death, but that seems to be something you'd never consider. The other is giving up the notebook and forgetting everything about it."

"Yes, yes, that one, just please don't kill me."

Light stood. "I figured that's what you'd say." He walked over to Higuchi and reached into a pocket, pulling out three white pills. "Take these."

"What are they?"

"Sleeping pills. Nothing dangerous, I'd just rather you have a nice pleasant nap after we finish our business here." Higuchi took the pills from his hand and swallowed them. "Rem? Could you please take his notebook and return to wherever you come from with it?"

"Of course. Higuchi?"

"Yes, do that." He took the notebook he had under his shirt and handed it to the shinigami, who nodded and disappeared. His face relaxed for a moment and he yawned before he noticed Light again.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Absolutely no one."

"What are you going to do to me?"

"Absolutely nothing," Light lied. "Now go to bed."

A very confused Higuchi nodded, eyes only half open. "If you steal anything, there are cameras all over the place. I'd recommend you leave."

"Yes, I'm on my way out. Nothing stolen. Goodnight." Higuchi nodded and stumbled out the door, closing it behind him. Light grinned, victorious. He walked to the desk and picked up his notebook, thinking over what would happen next. Higuchi wouldn't remember anything in the morning, Light had made sure of that, so if he could slip out and go to his mother's for the night. He smiled, content in his victory.

Content, that is, until he heard the door open and a small cough.

"So," the overly familiar monotone drawled as Light swore quietly, "does this mean I was right?" Light slipped the notebooks under his shirt and turned to face the detective standing behind him. L, even paler than usual, met the teen's eyes. "I'm terribly unsurprised."

Mind racing, Light tried to think of something to say. "Look, Ryuu –"

"Please, don't call me that." His tone had none of the uncertainty of past accusations. He knew he was right, had been right all along.

"Fine. _L._ I know what this looks like –"

"_Please_ tell me you aren't going to try to deny that you're Kira. This entire situation is proof that I'm slightly less intelligent than I believed, but I'm not an _idiot._"

"I wasn't going to deny it," he lied.

"Good. Please, continue."

"I _was_ Kira – " the detective glared at him "– I _am_ Kira. There, you've got that much. Happy now?"

"Not in the slightest. Continue."

"I haven't killed anyone in – however long it's been since we first fucked." L cringed at the mention of their relationship. "The only things I've done relating to my being Kira were to save myself from being arrested. I had no plans to ever kill again."

"May I inquire as to why you're here, then?" Light muttered something under his breath. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"I _said_, I knew Higuchi was Kira and I was planning on taking his d –means of killing away from him so that he'd stop, and he's the only one killing right now and –"

"And that brings me to my next question. How do you kill, Kira?" Light couldn't think of a plausible lie, so he neglected to answer. The detective's tone was acidic when he spoke again. "I _asked_ how you _kill._"

Unable to think of anything to say, Light smirked. "Well, you could strangle someone, or slit their neck, or run them over, or –"

"Would you stop being a smartass for just one second?" He took a step towards Light. "If you do not tell me, I _will_ have you arrested, and then put to death. And I'm sure you love yourself far too much to have that happen." As he spoke, he ran a hand down Light's chest mockingly. _Fuck_, the teen thought as he felt the older man's hand hit the top of the notebook. "What's this?"

Light pulled it out. "A notebook." Hiding the cover, he flipped through the blank section. "An average, ordinary notebook." He tried to keep his breathing even.

"There is a ninety-eight percent chance that that is complete and utter _bullshit._" He ripped the notebook out of the teen's hand. "'Death Note.'" Light flinched as L flipped open the cover and began reading out loud. "'The human whose name is written in this note shall die. This note will not take effect unless the writer has the subject's face in mind…'" He trailed off, but continued examining the page. "This certainly clears things up."

"Before you flip a shit and do whatever L does in situations like this, may I ask you a question?" Light asked quietly. L nodded as he continued reading. "How did you know I was here?"

The detective answered emotionlessly. "Wedy told me what you asked her to do. And you left your cell phone at home. When I called your mother to tell her I would come drop it off, she told me you weren't there. That was all the confirmation I needed." He looked up from the notebook. "And before that, I saw your expression when we saw the first footage of those eight and it zoomed in on Higuchi. How did you know he was Kira?"

"It's a rather…long story."

"I have a rather good enough amount of time to hear it."

"Let me rephrase: I'm not going to explain."

"Oh, but you_ are._" He smirked. "You see, Light-_chan_, I have _this._" He held up the notebook. "And all I'd have to do is write in 'Light Yagami commits suicide after explaining the events of November to the present.' Now, if you want to live a bit longer, you could explain yourself."

Light closed his eyes. _This is all a nightmare. I'm going to wake up next to him, and it will all be okay. This is _not_ happening._ When he opened his eyes, L was still watching with a light eyebrow raised. The teen bit his lip before he decided to speak, valuing his life over his pride. He kept his tone as empty as possible as he began to explain.

"November 28th, I found that notebook, on the ground. Picked it up. I figured it was complete bullshit, but tested it anyway. I was watching the news, and a crime was being reported. I wrote down the man's name, and forty seconds later, he appeared to be dead. Later, a shinigami – " L's eyes widened. "Yes, they exist. Ryuk, the shinigami, explained the rules a bit more thoroughly to me, and I realized what an amazing opportunity I had been presented with. In such a flawed system, I could use this to better our world, to help people become more _decent._ I began writing suspected criminals down, and they died. It was amazing, that _I_ was improving the world so greatly. I could become a _god._" A triumphant smile flashed across his face before he continued.

"My father, working with you, mentioned to us some of your theories, and I looked through some case files. I began doing things just to provoke your interest. It was certainly interesting. And then I found out I was being followed, and that it was an FBI agent, and I used the notebook to have him kill his coworkers. His fiancé got in the way, so I dealt with her too.

"I think that's about when you put those cameras in my house. Ryuk mentioned them. And then I decided to make myself look as innocent as possible. I just hid the notebook from all the cameras while I wrote in it. And I guess it worked. You seemed fooled. And then we met, right as all the second-Kira crap started going on. Misa sought me out while that was happening. Her shinigami, Rem, helped her. Well, there's more than that, but it's useless information.

"After that, I got her to quiet down a bit, and then you had your little 'event' and we, y'know, screwed, and then Misa got involved again, and then we were _both_ unable to kill, so the killings stopped, and then you were going to arrest us both, so I had her give up the notebook –"

"Give it up? I don't quite know what you mean."

"Well, if you have the notebook, you can give it up and you forget it exists and all that and you can't see shinigami anymore and you only get the memories back if you touch one again.

"So she gave it up and I managed to hint at Rem that she should give it to someone else, so that the killings would start again, and Rem would do anything for Misa to be safe, so she gave it to Higuchi, since that was the only way we could do anything that wouldn't get you killed and I swear I don't want you dead and I really didn't want to hurt you and I love you and I'm sorry….

"And then everything was all sunshine and rainbows until Higuchi started doing stupid things, and we were reviewing the tapes and I saw Rem behind him and so I knew it had to be him. So I came here to make him stop doing those aforementioned stupid things, and I made him give it up, and I sent Rem back to the Shinigami Realm with it and figured it would just never be fully solved, as the note leaves no real evidence. But then you showed up, and…yeah."

"I understand."

"What are you going to do now?" Light's tone was fearful.

"Well, that was all documented, but…" He trailed off, lost in thought.

"Er, L? Ryuuzaki?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you going to answer my question?"

"No."

"Um, okay, but can you please" his voice cracked "just tell me what's going to happen to me? I'd really rather not die." On the last word, he began crying. L watched thoughtfully for a moment.

"Give it up."

"I'm sorry, you know how I get, hold on a second." He wiped his eyes. "Please?"

"No, I mean give it up. The notebook."

Light stared at him uncomprehendingly. "What?"

"It's a simple statement. Perform whatever procedures it takes to lose ownership of the notebook and forget it."

"Why are you asking me to do this?"

"I have my reasons."

"Would you like to share said reasons?"

"Not particularly."

"Does this mean you're not going to punish –"

"Would you _please_ give it up before I come to my senses and kill you?"

"Er, okay… Ryuk?" The shinigami drifted through the wall. L stiffened.

"Is that…?"

"Yeah, that's Ryuk."

The shinigami waved. "Hello there." He looked at Light. "Since when can he see me?"

"Ryuk, I know you've been listening."

"You caught me." He laughed.

"So you know what I want to do?"

"I guess so."

"Could you…?"

"Uh, right, yeah."

"Could you leave the notebook here?" L requested, eyes still wide.

"Sure, why the hell not, I've got another." He laughed. "So, you wanna give it up?" Light nodded.

_________________________

Light made a quiet noise and looked around, dazed. "Ryuu?"

L's voice remained hostile. "Yes?"

"Where the fuck are we?"

The detective leaned in towards his lover. "You're lying."

Light yawned. "About?" His lips turned up at the corners. "Can we go home? I'm tired."

L smiled as he noted the less hostile tone of the teen's voice, the widened eyes. For the first time since they'd met, he looked _young_. "Of course we can." He slipped the notebook into his shirt and grabbed the brunet's hand, pulling him outside to the car.

___________________________________________

L opened the door to the main investigation room. Conversation fell silent as Soichiro spoke.

"Where the hell have you two been? We've been waiting here for, what, two hours? You call us and say it's an emergency, and then you just aren't here?"

"I apologize, Yagami-san. There was an emergency, and this case may be solved."

Matsuda's eyes widened. "Solved? How? Who?"

"Light uncovered a lead indicating that Higuchi was Kira."

"I did?"

"Yes, you did." He pulled out the notebook. "This notebook was used to commit the murders. If you were to flip through, you would find that almost every victim's name is written in this." Matsuda reached for it. "Please do not touch it, it may be dangerous. Higuchi has told us that the original Kira died and passed this notebook to him. Higuchi is being taken into custody as we speak, with video footage of his confession. Another notebook, identical to this one, was used during the time period with the second Kira, who was Misa Amane. Watari is dealing with her as we speak."

Light stared at him blankly. "You mean to tell me that the last several months have been spent chasing a serial killer who kills with a fucking notebook."

Matsuda raised his eyebrows. "Weren't you _there_, Light?"

L glared at him. "He stayed in the car."

"No, I did –"

"Light, I'll talk to you in a minute."

"Uh, alright…"

"I have already thought about the consequences of this notebook existing, and I have come to the conclusion that it serves no purpose here. We have enough evidence to convict both Kiras without it. Aizawa, could you please wear these gloves and have this burned in a sterile environment?" He handed the man a pair of gloves, and once they were on, handed him the notebook. Aizawa left the room. "Well, I suppose that's all. You may go."

"But – " Matsuda began.

"By that, I mean please leave." They complied. As they left the room, L wrapped his arms around Light as the teen spoke.

"Ryuu, that was possibly the shittiest, most unsatisfying conclusion to a case I have ever heard of."

"Was it, now?"

"Yes. Do you want to explain what that crap about the car was?"

"Ah, that."

"Yes, _that._"

"You tripped and hit your head on the way in, falling unconscious in the process. For the sake of your pride, I decided not to tell them."

"As much sense as I'm sure that should make, I don't remember tripping."

"Well, you did. It was quite a hard fall, I'm not surprised your thoughts are a bit muddled. After that, I left you in a separate room while I spoke to Higuchi."

"And he confessed?"

"Yes."

"How'd you manage that?"

"I threatened to write his name in the notebook. Killers tend to have a strong sense of self-preservation, you know."

Light wrapped his arms around the detective's neck. "I'm sure they do." He smiled against the older man's chest as he fingered the knob on his watch.

_Exactly as planned._

_fin._

**thoughts?**


End file.
